According to French military intelligence, the most probable cause of the deadly explosion at al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City was a Palestinian rocket that carried an explosive charge of about 5 kilograms. The rocket may have misfired, resulting in the tragic incident. This assessment is based on classified information, satellite imagery, intelligence shared by other countries, and open-source information.
The French intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasized that their intelligence did not point to an Israeli strike as the cause of the explosion. The official also mentioned that several rockets in Hamas’ arsenal, including an Iranian-made rocket and a Palestinian-made rocket, have similar explosive charges.
The assessment provided by France was an attempt to be transparent about their findings and was cleared by President Emmanuel Macron. The size of the blast crater in the hospital courtyard is consistent with an explosive charge of about 5 kilograms. The hole appeared to be slightly oriented on a south to north axis, suggesting a projectile that hit at an oblique angle.
Israeli authorities have denied any involvement in the explosion and released evidence indicating that a rocket misfired by Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian militant group, caused the blast. The death toll from the incident is still disputed, with different sources providing conflicting estimates. The French military intelligence official remarked that it is not possible for a rocket of that size to have caused the reported number of deaths.
It is crucial to continue investigating the incident to determine the precise cause of the explosion and hold accountable those responsible for this tragic event.
