‘Shot from cemetery on Israel, but rocket misfired, fell on us’: Hamas call over Gaza hospital strike intercepted by IDF

Junking accusations that Israel bombed the al-Ahli Baptist hospital in Gaza that ostensibly claimed some 500 lives, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have released an intercepted phone call between two Hamas operatives that proves otherwise.

According to Israel—video footage was released earlier by IDF—the hospital was hit by a failed rocket launched towards Israel by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.

As per the contents of the call recording, two Hamas operatives can be heard discussing that it was one of their own rockets that hit the crowded Gaza hospital.

Transcript of conversation

Following is the transcript of the cell phone conversation between the two Hamas operatives intercepted by IDF.

Operative 1: I am telling you this is the first time that we see a missile like this falling.

Operative 2: And so that’s why we are saying it belongs to the Palestinian Islamic.

Operative 1: What?

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

Operative 1: It’s from us?

Operative 2: It looks like it!

Operative 1: Who says this?

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

Operative 1: What are you saying?

Operative 2: But God bless, it couldn’t have found another place to explode?

Operative 1: Nevermind, yes, they shot if from the cemetery behind the hospital.

Operative 2: What?

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

Operative 2: There’s a cemetery behind it?

Operative 1: Yes, Al-Ma’amadani is exactly in the compound.

Operative 2: Where is it when you enter the compound?

Operative 1: You first enter the compound and don’t go towards the city and it’s on the right side of the Al-Ma’amadani Hospital.

Operative 2: Yes, I know it.

Sharing the audio clip on X, formerly Twitter, IDF wrote, “Islamic Jihad struck a Hospital in Gaza—the IDF did not.”

Islamic Jihad struck a Hospital in Gaza—the IDF did not.

Listen to the terrorists as they realize this themselves: pic.twitter.com/u7WyU8Rxwz

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2023

Israel has denied accusations that one of its airstrikes caused the blast at the Gaza hospital and has instead blamed it on a failed rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group.

Earlier in the day, the IDF also released a drone footage to prove that the explosion at the hospital in Gaza was not caused by its ordinance.

A failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization hit the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City.

IAF footage from the area around the hospital before and after the failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization: pic.twitter.com/AvCAkQULAf

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2023

The IDF said if it would have attacked the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital it would have left a crater and not a burning parking lot and shrapnel-pocked roof.

The Israeli military also released a video which showed a large fire caused in the area as a result of the blast, but there was no crater.

The IDF said airstrikes by them generally leave large holes in the ground.

The drone footage shared by IDF also pointed to shrapnel that landed on the roof of the nearby buildings, which remain largely intact.