this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2023
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Full IDF Spokesperson statement:

Attached is the briefing: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC1810202362

Attached is a recording of a conversation between Hamas operatives regarding the Islamic Jihad failed rocket launch on the hospital on October 17, 2023: https://bit.ly/3S4xqiG

Attached is a visual analysis following the IAF’s examination on the subject: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC1810156854

Attached is an infographic of all the failed rocket launches in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/1810202309876543672

Attached is a photograph from the IDF launch identification system on the subject: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC18102023984

Looks like evidence has been published, and at least partially verified by OSINT groups (in the linked article)

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (10 children)

Alright, gonna be a skeptic.

We're seeing an Israeli news source followed by an IDF statement with IDF evidence, so a conflict of interest does exist with these sources, though that doesn't mean either is lying. That being said, if Israel did deliberately target a hospital in Gaza with as many eyes on Gaza as there are, that'd be a really fucking stupid move. At the same time, If they did, lying and completely fabricating everything is in their highest interest. At minimum, though, I think that any trustworthiness one would associate with journalists or military Intel be thrown out, and the evidence be viewed with skepticism

There is also some oppositely damning evidence in circulation. GeoConfirmed apparently did their own locating of where the video occurred, and - if accurate - from the videos perspective, the missile was moving northwest, from the direction of Israel. They are also A third party in this, though, so their bias is not immediately determinable from this one tweet, nor can the factuality be easily confirmed.

We're still in the fog of war, and simultaneously a war for our minds and support is being waged. I am going to wait for more information from more parties to arrive.

EDIT: I previously stated the tweet I linked claimed the missile was moving north east, which it doesn't - that's my misphrasing. The tweet I linked specifically repeats the falling shrapnel story - though the evidence they show shows the camera looking southeast, with the missile coming from said direction towards the camera. I've rewritten it to be more clear.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 year ago

The geoconfirmed link in your article (to x) actually claims the opposite of what you are claiming it does:

„ Conclusion:

A missile launched by a Palestinian group exploded mid-air (Reason unknown) and one piece fell on the hospital causing an explosion.

The geolocation and timing of the footage is conclusive.„

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If it were Israel, they would just say Hamas was using the hospital as a military facility like they have in the past.

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year ago (14 children)

Alright, let's get an independent to verify, but it's looking pretty damning for Hamas at this point.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Yeah, they didn't shoot that, it was the Palestinian Islamic Jihad according to the evidence delievered by Israel. Not the same groups, although they coordinate sometimes. But Hamas went right out of the gate blaming Israel despite apparently knowing better, and that's just not a good look at all if true.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

Blatantly lying all over the Internet and media is actually a semi-good look these days, unfortunately.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Oh damn, lying online might tarnish Hamas's reputation?

Hey guys, specifically targeting, torturing, and murdering hundreds of civilians was fine - but we should really draw the line at lying online. That's just barbarous.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Very compelling evidence, especially if it gets verified. They even adressed the question mark of it being more damage than these groups usually do when their missiles hit. It would be very high stakes lying, but then again, this is a high stakes situation. Whoever did that has a lot of innocent blood on their hands.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago

Lots of Islamic Jihad & Hamas missiles fail during flight and kill Palestinians. Israel had published videos in the past showing e.g. 8 launches at night, pausing the video and showing how 2 or 3 suddenly turn down to the ground to hit the Gaza strip. And of course the local terrorist groups accounted dead Palestinians to Israel striking those locations. It's sometimes easy to show, with visible rocket engines at night and sometimes harder.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It happens all the time. Hamas and Islamic Jihad don't care for civilians or conventions and never did, all they care about is literally "killing Jews". Next question people should be asking: "why are they launching rockets from a hospital's parking lot? Isn't that a warcrime?" And the answer is yes and always has been.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Also note that launching rockets from the hospital makes it a legitimate target and therefore not a warcrime to hit it. Innocents die but it is fair game to destroy it when used as a platform to launch attacks from.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

News outlets don't give a shit nor does the public. They all jumped at the initial news, regurgitated it verbatim and now that cool heads are analyzing everything it doesn't matter anymore. PR was done.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They even adressed the question mark of it being more damage than these groups usually do when their missiles hit.

Can you help me find that bit? I read the article and briefing, but didn't see this addressed.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (11 children)

The Guardian had it in their coverage:

On how a rocket fired from Gaza could cause so much damage he said:

The existence of propellant made a larger explosion than the warhead itself. And this caused the damage, the explosions that we see of the burning cars here.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/oct/18/israel-hamas-war-live-news-gaza-hospital-west-bank-update-joe-biden-visit-protests-latest-updates?page=with:block-652f822b8f085b7fcf67317c#block-652f822b8f085b7fcf67317c

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago

Okay I actually made the effort to listen to the Audio and took a look at those photos.

The two men in the audio recording are talking about a misfire that happened directly behind the hospital - from a nearby cemetery to be exact.

https://bit.ly/3S4xqiG

On the other hand you attached a picture that shows a rocket launch site that is quite a long way from the Hospital - or is this the cemetery those men in the voice recording were talking about?

https://idfanc.activetrail.biz/ANC18102023984

Are you sure that this is the right picture?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Does anyone have sources on what kind of missiles Palestinian groups typically have access to? I think that would be very useful in evaluating the claims being made.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Holy shit, those are much bigger than anything I had imagined them having.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So this here is the current view on the area where supposedly about 500 people died. Also there are allegedly more than 300 wounded.

Questions I personally have:

  • where is the rubble and where is the bomb crater?
  • why does the building seem undamaged?
  • how do you fit 800 people in this parking lot?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/oct/18/israel-hamas-war-live-news-gaza-hospital-west-bank-update-joe-biden-visit-protests-latest-updates

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

So, what I gather from this thread and others:

Islamic Jihad, a group separate from Hamas and not getting missiles from Iran, cobbles together their own home-made rocket made out of duck tape and twine and fires it at Israel. The rocket, unsurprisingly, falls apart and part of it falls on the parking lot of Gaza city hospital, killing about a dozen or so people. Hamas rushes to the scene and asks how many are dead. Gaza hospital says 500 - 12 from the missile and 488 from the ... you know siege and food/medicine blockade.

Hamas knows that the IDF has targeted this hospital before and had no doubt that they would it again, and since the missile didn't come from them, releases a press release saying the IDF bombed a hospital and 500 are dead. This makes President Abbas call off his meeting with Biden and throws a wrench in the peace process, just what Hamas wants.

The IDF initially just say "Hamas did it," and if you disagree we've got this new law that jails reporters for saying bad stuff about Israel. Then they release a video footage of a different rocket barrage that has nothing to do with anything. Biden comes over and goes: "Come on, this isn't the cold war, it's the information age. We've got like 10 live web cams throughout Gaza city streaming, OSINT probably got it. If you didn't do it, there ain't any reason to lie about it."

Of course, that is just what I got from Lemmy, so probably a mix of propaganda from both sides. Feel free to yell all the corrections in the world in the replies.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Speaking of livestream, this seems to be a video from that night, from a geolocated position :

https://twitter.com/yousuf_tw/status/1714367757968384106

We see a rocket being launched, seemingly missfire and blowing up high in the sky, then two explosions, the second one being near the hospital.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (10 children)

I wonder where all the people from yesterday are now...for them it was damn sure Israel and if you made the mistake to publish this second opinion or made the suggestion to wait for other sources your were downvoted into oblivion...

But also with this new source I would wait until it is verified independently. I really like this approach from our german news station Tagesschau, where all news get a label until they are verified by different, independent sources. Makes fake news a lot less common.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It would not be the first time Israel has targeted health treatment facilities

https://theintercept.com/2021/05/21/gaza-bombing-hospital-israel/

I think most people were rightly suspicious because it has happened before.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 year ago (6 children)

I wonder where all the people from yesterday are now…

this article is 25 minutes old at time of writing, how is anyone supposed to talk about any of this stuff when you start comments like this.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

Not saying that there are vile people that are just rooting for their football team no matter what happens, but I did fine here offering the opinion that both statements were - at the time - equally not backed by evidence. I did mention, that the Guardian did mention that the size of explosion is more than usual for the weapons of the militants, but even that didn't necessearily mean that it was Israel.

If we're looking at this we should look at all neews criticial, especially if one supports a side over the other. It's too easy to fall for hopeful rumours and fantasies anyways. Seen too many people who just go on any unbacked claim by either side "aha! I knew it". It's a volatile and chaotic situation and a lot of bad actors just try to score points.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

They don't care that they were wrong. The next time Hamas claims Israel did something bad they will believe it instantly and only question whatever IDF says. It's not about the truth but what they wished the truth was.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Both sides of the argument are so entrenched they engage in cognitive dissonance and cherry picking almost constantly.

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