On the 17th of October, a bomb hit a hospital in Gaza City, one estimate for the number of dead was 900 people many of them children. As night fell in Washington and Biden was on a plane to Israel, furious protesters gathered at the White House to denounce the brutal war in Gaza. This protest was one of a great many held around the world.

Background: while Israeli media and the IDF are claiming a misfired rocket out of a large barrage fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad hit the hospital, there are reports Israel initially took credit for the blast claiming Hamas targets were at the site before hurredly retracting the claim. To destroy a hospital and kill so many people seems to be a LOT of damage for a warhead similar in explosive power to an antitank mine. Historically most Quassam rockets have carried relatively small 35 kilogram warheads. This seems even more unlikely give Israel is claiming the alleged misfired rocket hit the parking lot. On the other hand, a 500 pound air dropped bomb (14 times as much explosive) could do this with ease, probably even from the parking lot and certainly with a direct hit. Gaza’s health ministry flatly stated an Israeli air strike caused the blast. Investigation continues as this is reported though.

One thing is certain however: with no occupation and long term siege of Gaza there would have been no war, and with no war the hospital would not have been bombed no matter where the projectile came from.

This story will be updated as investigation continues into the Gaza hospital bombing. If Israel is proven beyond all doubt to be guilty there will surely be hell to pay. With the US and Iran each warning the other to stay out, it seems likely more countries will be drawn into the war, and the whole mess stinks of August 1914, the start of WWI.