This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67142031
The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 11 | Version 12 |
|---|---|
| Biden backs Israel's account of deadly Gaza hospital explosion | Biden backs Israel's account of deadly Gaza hospital explosion |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| President Joe Biden was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu | President Joe Biden was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu |
| US President Joe Biden has said a deadly blast at a Gaza hospital appears to have been caused by Palestinian militants, backing Israel's account of the incident as he visits the country. | US President Joe Biden has said a deadly blast at a Gaza hospital appears to have been caused by Palestinian militants, backing Israel's account of the incident as he visits the country. |
| Mr Biden, who landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, said he was "deeply saddened and outraged" by the explosion. | Mr Biden, who landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, said he was "deeply saddened and outraged" by the explosion. |
| Israel's military said it was caused by a failed Palestinian rocket launch. | Israel's military said it was caused by a failed Palestinian rocket launch. |
| But Palestinian officials said an Israeli air strike hit the hospital. | But Palestinian officials said an Israeli air strike hit the hospital. |
| Health officials in Gaza have said almost 500 people were killed in the explosion, but no death toll has been confirmed. | Health officials in Gaza have said almost 500 people were killed in the explosion, but no death toll has been confirmed. |
| Meanwhile, Mr Biden has announced that an agreement has been reached with Israel to allow humanitarian aid to move from Egypt into Gaza. | |
| 'Deeply saddened and outraged' | |
| Mr Biden's high-stakes visit has been overshadowed by the blast at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital on Tuesday evening, which has further inflamed tensions and sparked protests across the region. | Mr Biden's high-stakes visit has been overshadowed by the blast at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital on Tuesday evening, which has further inflamed tensions and sparked protests across the region. |
| He landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday where he was greeted warmly by Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, before the pair hosted a joint news conference. | He landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday where he was greeted warmly by Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, before the pair hosted a joint news conference. |
| "I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday," Mr Biden said. | "I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday," Mr Biden said. |
| "Based on what I've seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you," he told Mr Netanyahu. "But there's a lot of people out there not sure so we have to overcome a lot of things." | "Based on what I've seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you," he told Mr Netanyahu. "But there's a lot of people out there not sure so we have to overcome a lot of things." |
| Mr Biden was later asked by reporters what led him to conclude that Israel was not responsible, and said: "The data I was shown by my defence department." | Mr Biden was later asked by reporters what led him to conclude that Israel was not responsible, and said: "The data I was shown by my defence department." |
| In the news conference, he reiterated his support for Israel and condemned the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from Gaza on 7 October that left 1,400 people dead. | In the news conference, he reiterated his support for Israel and condemned the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from Gaza on 7 October that left 1,400 people dead. |
| At least 3,000 people have been killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes on Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. | At least 3,000 people have been killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes on Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. |
| ANALYSIS: Biden's visit to Israel is a high-stakes gamble | ANALYSIS: Biden's visit to Israel is a high-stakes gamble |
| Mr Biden had planned to travel from Israel to Jordan to meet King Abdullah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, but that leg of the trip was cancelled after the hospital blast on Tuesday. | Mr Biden had planned to travel from Israel to Jordan to meet King Abdullah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, but that leg of the trip was cancelled after the hospital blast on Tuesday. |
| Jordan cancelled the meeting and condemned what it called "a great calamity and a heinous war crime". The White House, meanwhile, said the decision had been "made in a mutual way" and Mr Biden would call Mr Abbas and Mr Sisi on his return flight to the US. | Jordan cancelled the meeting and condemned what it called "a great calamity and a heinous war crime". The White House, meanwhile, said the decision had been "made in a mutual way" and Mr Biden would call Mr Abbas and Mr Sisi on his return flight to the US. |
| More on Israel-Gaza war | More on Israel-Gaza war |
| Follow live: Latest updates | Follow live: Latest updates |
| Explained: What's going on in Gaza and Israel, and why now? | Explained: What's going on in Gaza and Israel, and why now? |
| History behind the story: The Israel-Palestinian conflict | History behind the story: The Israel-Palestinian conflict |
| Hamas attack: Family seeks answers after live-stream horror | Hamas attack: Family seeks answers after live-stream horror |
| From Gaza: BBC reporter flees Israel bomb warning | From Gaza: BBC reporter flees Israel bomb warning |
| Mr Biden also said $100m (£82m) in US funding would be be allocated to support Palestinian civilians. Concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza has grown in recent days, with food, water and medicine in short supply. | |
| Authorities in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas, have said 500 people died in the hospital explosion on Tuesday, which one doctor called "a massacre". | |
| Hamas blamed Israel, calling it a "war crime". A spokesperson for Mr Abbas, who is based in the occupied West Bank, accused Israel of a "heinous crime". | Hamas blamed Israel, calling it a "war crime". A spokesperson for Mr Abbas, who is based in the occupied West Bank, accused Israel of a "heinous crime". |
| But the Israeli military said it had proof its forces were not behind the blast and that it was instead caused by rockets misfired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. | But the Israeli military said it had proof its forces were not behind the blast and that it was instead caused by rockets misfired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. |
| "According to our intelligence, Hamas checked the reports, understood it was an Islamic Jihad rocket that had misfired - and decided to launch a global media campaign to hide what really happened," spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a briefing on Tuesday. "They went as far as inflating the number of casualties." | "According to our intelligence, Hamas checked the reports, understood it was an Islamic Jihad rocket that had misfired - and decided to launch a global media campaign to hide what really happened," spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a briefing on Tuesday. "They went as far as inflating the number of casualties." |
| Watch: Chaos in Gaza City after hospital hit | Watch: Chaos in Gaza City after hospital hit |
| Watch: Chaos in Gaza City after hospital hit | Watch: Chaos in Gaza City after hospital hit |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Middle East | Middle East |
| Israel-Gaza war | Israel-Gaza war |
| Israel | Israel |
| Gaza | Gaza |
| United States | United States |
| Joe Biden | Joe Biden |