Investigation refutes Israel's claims that Islamic Jihad rocket hit Gaza hospital

On October 17, 2023, the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza was tragically bombed, resulting in the loss of hundreds of Palestinian lives. Gaza's official authorities hold Israel responsible for the bombardment, while the Israeli military denies involvement, attributing the incident to a 'failed rocket firing' by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. To substantiate these contrasting claims, the Israeli army referred to camera footage from Al-Jazeera. However, SANAD, a digital investigation team, deemed it necessary to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into these allegations. They conducted a meticulous analysis of the video footage, examining several videos from diverse sources to create a detailed, second-by-second timeline of the event. By scrutinizing Al-Jazeera's live broadcast, which commenced at 18:45, the investigative team identified four Israeli bombardments near the hospital. These bombings occurred at 18:54:25, 18:55.03, 18:57:42, and 18:58:04, respectively. The team cross-referenced this footage with video recorded by a different camera situated south of Tel-Aviv, offering a wide-angle perspective of Gaza. This footage revealed rockets being launched from Gaza and provided a clear view of the Iron Dome system intercepting the fired rockets. Returning to Al-Jazeera's live broadcast at 18:59:35, the investigation focused on a specific rocket fired from Gaza. This rocket was also visible in videos published by Israel. Just 15 seconds later, at 18:59:50, the same rocket was observed being intercepted by the Iron Dome. The distinctive glow following the explosion confirmed that this downed rocket was consistent with the other intercepted rockets. In a separate Al-Jazeera video, a closer view showed the rocket exploding in the sky and disintegrating into fragments. Based on a comprehensive analysis of all videos and broadcasts, it was concluded that the rocket fired from Gaza, which was intercepted by the Iron Dome, marked the last rocket launch before the hospital was bombed. Therefore, Al-Jazeera's investigative team determined that Israeli claims of 'unsuccessful rocket firing by Palestinian Islamic Jihad' were unsubstantiated.