Biden's Visit Coincides with Devastating Gaza Hospital Blast, Sparking Outrage Across the Middle East

CNN is unable to verify the cause of the explosion at Al-Ahli hospital. Nonetheless, this explosion represents a perilous escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with a potential to extend beyond the region. As Israelis mourn the casualties resulting from Hamas' terrorist acts on Israeli territory and families implore for the release of their kidnapped relatives, millions of innocent civilians in Gaza face the looming threats of harm, fatality, and deprivation. Essential provisions have been disrupted due to intense Israeli airstrikes, creating an untenable situation where escape is unfeasible.

"A majority of the victims, primarily children and women, are still being discovered and retrieved by ambulance crews, who are faced with the difficult task of handling severed body parts," Al-Qudra reported. "Without the availability of anesthesia, doctors have been compelled to carry out surgeries both on the ground and in the narrow corridors."

Bodies of Palestinians killed in the blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital lie in front of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 17.

Israeli security forces inspect a damaged residential building after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza in Sderot, Israel on October 17.

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Civil defense members and residents conduct search and rescue operations amid destroyed buildings after an Israeli attack in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday, October 17,

Aid supplies are seen in North Sinai, Egypt on October 16.

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People hold Israeli flags as friends and family mourn Dor Reder at his funeral in Beit Kama, southern Israel, on October 16.

Palestinians carry a person wounded in Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Monday, October 16.

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Israeli army soldiers patrol at an undisclosed position in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on October 15.

People carry children as they flee following an Israeli strike on Rafah in southern Gaza on Sunday, October 15.

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People react at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on Saturday, October 14.

Eli Albag weeps while holding a photograph of his daughter Liri, joining fellow protesters in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 14. They are demanding the immediate release of over 100 Israelis who were kidnapped in the recent Hamas attack.

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Palestinians rescue a wounded man from the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza, on October 13.

Israeli artillery fires on the Israel-Gaza border on October 13.

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A Palestinian child is injured during bombing in Gaza on October 13.

Palestinians flee from northern Gaza to the south after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning to seek refuge in the south, on October 13.

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The funeral ceremony of Valentin Ghnassia took place at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on October 12, where his family members expressed their emotions. Ghnassia lost his life in a confrontation with Hamas militants in Be'eri, Israel.

An Israeli soldier patrols near the Nova music festival grounds near Be'eri, Israel, on October 12.

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A morgue worker arranges body bags at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 12.

Smoke plumes billow during Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on October 12.

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An Israeli army self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 11.

People carry bodies of Palestinians killed during an Israeli airstrike prior to their burial in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.

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Mourners react beside the body of Mapal Adam during her funeral in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 11.

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On October 11, at the entrance of a kindergarten in Be'eri, Israel, one can observe bullet holes in a cracked window. This incident occurred as Hamas militants targeted the self-sustaining farming community near Gaza. It happened on October 7, making it one of the initial locations attacked.

A mourner reacts while burying a child from the al-Agha family, who were killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.

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Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City on Tuesday, October 10.

Israeli soldiers transported a deceased individual on October 10 in Kfar Aza, an Israeli village situated near the Gaza border. The Israel Defense Forces informed CNN that Hamas militants executed a reprehensible "massacre" in Kfar Aza during their weekend assaults.

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Israeli soldiers take position in Kfar Aza near the border with Gaza on October 10.

Palestinians rescue a young girl from the rubble of a destroyed residential building following an Israeli airstrike on October 10.

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Israelis in Ashkelon take cover in a shelter as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets on October 10.

People gather around the bodies of two Palestinian reporters, Mohammed Soboh and Said al-Tawil, who were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 10.

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A family takes shelter at a neighbor's house after their home was damaged in an Israeli airstrike in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza on October 9.

Children run for cover as bombs fall near the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 9.

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The ruins of the Yassin mosque are seen in the Shati refugee camp just outside Gaza City on October 9.

Friends and relatives of Ilai Bar Sade mourn next to his grave during his funeral at a military cemetery in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 9.

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Israeli soldiers take position near the border between Gaza and Israel on October 9.

A Palestinian man mourns over the body of his nephew killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9.

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Israeli soldiers work on a tank at the border between Israel and Gaza on October 9.

Palestinians remove a body from the rubble of a building after an Israeli airstrike on the Jebaliya refugee camp in Gaza on October 9.

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Palestinians inspect damage from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City's Shati refugee camp on October 9.

An injured Palestinian child is pictured in the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes at al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza on October 9.

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Fire and smoke rise from Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike on October 8.

A relative of an Israeli missing since the attacks is overcome by emotion during a press conference in Ramat Gan, Israel, on October 8.

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Israelis inspect the rubble of a building in Tel Aviv on October 8, a day after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza.

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Gaza on October 8.

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Palestinian citizens inspect damage to their homes caused by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 8.

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A woman runs to her family's reinforced concrete shelter moments after rocket sirens sounded in Ashkelon on October 7.

From the window of his family's apartment, a man surveys damage from a rocket that struck a parking lot in Ashkelon on October 7.

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Police officers evacuate a woman and a child from a site hit by a rocket in Ashkelon on October 7.

Israeli police take cover in Ashkelon as sirens wail while rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel on October 7.

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Children are seen in a damaged house in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes on October 7.

Vehicles in Ashkelon burn as rockets are launched from Gaza on October 7.

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Palestinians inspect a destroyed building as emergency responders try to contain fires after Israeli jets bombed Gaza on October 7.

Outside of a hospital in Gaza, men sit next to the covered body of a Palestinian militant killed during Saturday's clashes.

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A woman stands in a room damaged by rockets in Ashkelon on October 7.

A building in Tel Aviv is ablaze Saturday, October 7, following rocket attacks from Gaza.

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Rockets are fired toward Israel from Gaza on October 7.

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The hospital explosion has been condemned as "unacceptable" by the UN Human Rights chief, Volker Turk, who emphasized the sanctity of hospitals and called for an end to the killings and violence. Turk expressed his shock and dismay at the devastating incident, where numerous individuals, including patients, healthcare workers, and families seeking safety, lost their lives. He emphasized that once again, the most vulnerable were the ones affected.

Jordan has canceled a summit scheduled for Wednesday, which was supposed to include Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority. President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority withdrew from the meeting soon after the explosion occurred. Although Biden had plans to visit Amman after his visit to Tel Aviv, a White House official stated that the trip has been "postponed."

Bodies of Palestinians killed by the blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital are seen gathered at the front yard of the al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza City, on October 17.

Abed Khaled/AP

Israeli forces have imposed a blockade on the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave following the October 7 attacks on Israel, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,400 individuals and the capture of over 150 hostages, including children and elderly individuals.

Condemnation of the hospital bombing has sparked protests in various cities across the Middle East and North Africa, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Tunisia. Additionally, clashes between protesters and Palestinian security forces occurred in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

In Beirut, Lebanon on October 18, a protestor from Lebanon throws stones at a burning building in close proximity to the US Embassy to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Gaza.

The hospital tragedy comes at a critical juncture for health services in Gaza, where electricity and water supply are severely limited. UN agencies have issued warnings that food supplies are running dangerously low, and the closure of Gaza's only seawater desalination plant raises concerns about the increased risk of fatalities, dehydration, and waterborne illnesses.

Although the IDF claims to avoid targeting hospitals, the UN and Doctors Without Borders report instances of Israeli airstrikes hitting medical facilities, including hospitals and ambulances.

The IDF released visuals on Wednesday indicating that the damage inflicted upon the hospital could not be attributed to an airstrike. In a brief 30-second compilation, the IDF asserted that a fire erupted at the hospital due to a botched rocket launch by Islamic Jihad. The footage exhibited the fire-ravaged condition of numerous vehicles in the hospital's parking area. According to the IDF, no discernible evidence of craters or substantial structural harm was present, typically expected following an airstrike.

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The group dismissed Israeli allegations as "unfounded and groundless" and asserted that it does not utilize public buildings, such as hospitals, for military activities, as stated on Wednesday. The United States is currently examining the intelligence shared by Israel regarding the explosion, which encompasses signals intelligence, intercepted communications, and various other types of data, as confirmed by an Israeli official and another source familiar with the situation.

Nowhere is safe

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the ongoing Israeli bombardment in Gaza has caused a significant loss of life. With over a week of violence, the death toll has risen to at least 3,000 people, including 1,032 girls and 940 boys. Additionally, 12,500 individuals have been injured. These casualties now surpass the number of those killed during the 51-day Gaza-Israel conflict in 2014.

On October 16, 2023, an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip, resulted in billowing smoke. The Gaza health ministry reported that the death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has now reached approximately 2,750 since Hamas's recent deadly attack on southern Israel. Additionally, around 9,700 people have been injured as Israel persisted with its intensive air campaign against targets within the Palestinian coastal enclave. The photo captured by SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images depicts the aftermath of the Israeli air strike.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has made significant efforts in the Middle East, announced on Tuesday that the US and Israel have reached an agreement to create a strategy that facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to the people of Gaza.

However, officials have emphasized that the Rafah border crossing, which is the sole entry and exit point in Gaza not under Israeli control, continues to pose significant risks.

The crossing has been bombed four times in the recent days, according to his statement. Reporting was contributed by CNN's Eyad Kourdi, Tim Lister, Chloe Liu, Kareem Khadder, Richard Roth, Paul P. Murphy, Ben Wedeman, Caroline Faraj, Jomana Karadsheh, Akanksha Sharma, Nikki Carvajal, Sophia Saifi, Oren Liebermann, Zachary Cohen, Adam Pourahmadi, Aqeel Najim, Jeremy Diamond, Abeer Salman, and Sahar Akbarzai.