Hamas terrorist says hospital hit by 'local shrapnel and not Israeli': intercepted convo

"They shot it coming from the cemetery behind the Al-Ma'amadani Hospital, and it misfired and fell on them," a Hamas operative said.

Published: October 18, 2023 7:40am

An intercepted conversation between Hamas terrorists shows that they knew that Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched the missile that hit the hospital in Gaza, even as Hamas blames Israel for the incident. 

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari posted the translated conversation on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

The conversation is as follows, using the same numbers to describe the terrorists as the transcript from the IDF:

Hamas Operative 2: "They are saying it belongs to Palestinian Islamic Jihad."

Hamas Operative 1: "It’s from us?"

2: "It looks like it."

1: "Who says this?"

2: "They are saying that the shrapnel from the missile is local and not like Israeli shrapnel."

1: "What are you saying (name omitted)?"

2: "But God bless, it couldn't have found another place to explode."

...

1: "They shot it coming from the cemetery behind the Al-Ma'amadani Hospital, and it misfired and fell on them."

Hamas blames Israel for the hospital strike and is claiming that hundreds died in the incident, but the reports have not been confirmed.

The rocket struck the hospital as terrorists were firing projectiles into Israel from the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the U.S. State Department-designated terrorist organization Hamas. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which enjoys great support in the Gaza Strip and, unlike Hamas, refuses to negotiate, appears to have been firing rockets at Israel around the same time as Hamas when the hospital was hit.

As President Joe Biden visits the region Wednesday, Arab leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi canceled their meetings with him after the incident. The region is also facing numerous anti-Israel riots.

Follow Madeleine Hubbard on X or Instagram.

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