US Intelligence Report Estimates the Number of Death Victims in the Gaza Hospital Explosion at 100-300 People

Rescue teams and Palestinians are looking for victims in the rubble of buildings as a result of the Israeli attack. (Wikimedia Commons/Fars Media Corporation/Saleh Najm and Anas Sharif)

JAKARTA - An unclassified United States intelligence report on Thursday estimated that the death toll from the hospital explosion in Gaza was in the range of 100-300 people, although it said this assessment could change.

A devastating explosion occurred at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital on Tuesday evening, with Palestinian officials saying around 471 people were killed as a result of the incident.

"We estimate the number of deaths may be at the low end of the spectrum of 100 to 300. We are still assessing the possible number of victims and our assessment may change, but this number of deaths still reflects a very large loss of life," said the report, reported by Reuters October 20.

Furthermore, the report also assessed that Israel was not responsible for the explosion. The Gaza Ministry of Health is known to blame Israel for the incident.

"We consider Israel irresponsible," the report said.

Israel previously said it was not responsible, blaming it on rockets belonging to the Islamic Jihad militant group.

"The IDF did not attack the hospital in Gaza. The hospital was affected by the failure of a rocket launched by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization," said Israeli military (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

The Islamic Jihad militant group denied any rockets were involved in the hospital explosion, saying it did not carry out any activity in or around Gaza City at the time.

Daoud Shehab, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad, denied his group was responsible.

"This is lies and fabrication, completely untrue. The occupation is trying to cover up the terrible crimes and massacres they are committing against civilians," he said.

The report said "only minor structural damage to the hospital" was observed and "there was no visible damage to the main hospital building and no impact craters."

"Our assessment is based on available reporting, including intelligence, missile activity, and open source video and images regarding the incident," the US intelligence report said.