US Assesses Israel Not Responsible for Hospital Blast in Gaza

Intelligence from the US Defense Department backs Israel’s innocence in the deadly explosion.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) greets U.S. President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on Oct. 18, 2023. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

President Joe Biden said on Oct. 18 that data collected by the U.S. Defense Department supports Israel’s claim that it wasn’t responsible for a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital on Oct. 17.

“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in Tel Aviv following his arrival in the country.