The projectile that struck the parking lot of the Baptist Hospital in Gaza cannot be inspected, a Hamas spokesperson has told the New York Times. Israel has denied responsibility for last week’s deadly strike, claiming it was a misfired rocket by another Palestinian group.
“The missile has dissolved like salt in the water,” Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas official, told the US outlet in a phone interview on Sunday. “It’s vaporized. Nothing is left.”
“Who says we’re obligated to present the remnants of every rocket that kills our people? In general, you can come and research and confirm for yourself from the evidence we possess,” Salama Maroof, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run government in Gaza, said in a text message.
Al Ahli Arab, also known as the Baptist Hospital, is one of the oldest medical facilities in Gaza. Last Tuesday’s explosion damaged the building and killed a number of Palestinian civilians seeking shelter from Israeli airstrikes.
By Wednesday, Israel was blaming Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), saying one of their missiles malfunctioned and struck the hospital compound. Israel claims that more than 550 rockets launched by Hamas and PIJ during the current conflict have struck their own territory.