Strike on Hospital in Gaza: Netanyahu Calls Incident a Tragic Mistake

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences regarding the strike on the Al-Naser hospital in Khan Younis, calling it a 'tragic mistake.' The Israel Defense Forces promised to conduct an immediate investigation into the incident. This was reported by 'Glavcom' citing The Telegraph.The statement came after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the incident and called for a swift end to the war in Gaza.According to Israeli media, the strike was carried out by tank crews at the request of the 36th Division. However, the Israeli Air Force, which typically uses precision munitions with the capability to withdraw from a target, quickly distanced itself from this incident. This may indicate tension between different units of the IDF.The strike on the hospital caused outrage among world leaders and humanitarian organizations. The first shell hit the upper floor of the building, killing Reuters operator Hussam al-Masri. The second shell exploded a few minutes later, when rescuers and other journalists arrived at the scene. Among the dead are journalist Mariam Dagha from AP News and operator Mohammed Salameh from Al Jazeera. The total number of victims reached at least twenty people, including rescuers.Al-Naser hospital is one of the largest in the Gaza Strip, but is critically suffering from a lack of resources. The deceased journalists and rescuers were documenting the humanitarian crisis in the region.Recall that on August 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the IDF's plans to take control of the entire Gaza Strip. He noted that there is no talk of a long-term occupation of the Palestinian enclave - Israel only wants to destroy the Hamas group in Gaza and transfer the enclave 'under Arab administration.'On August 13, the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, approved the overall plan for a future large-scale operation in Gaza aimed at establishing control over the city of Gaza.