With Israel and Hamas blaming each other for bombing a Gaza hospital, which resulted in hundreds of casualties, the blame game is on between the two even as the world condemns the attack.
Muhammad Hasan Kanaan, former Arab member of the Knesset told Sputnik his view on this controversial issue.
Hamas claimed that the blast was caused by an Israeli rocket, whereas Israel
denied the allegations, saying they had no role in the attack.
Supporting its claim, Hamas said that Israeli army had threatened to bomb the Baptist Hospital along with 22 other hospitals and medical centers in
the Gaza Strip.
"The tragedy is difficult to describe, and it has no analogues," Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudrah told Sputnik, adding that the dead were found with their heads torn off and bodies torn into pieces. The official also claimed that all the dead were civilians.
However, the
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) blamed
Palestinian militants saying their outgoing rocket misfired and fell on the hospital.
Countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Cuba, Iraq, Turkey, Venezuela and the African Union have backed the claims of Hamas. Iran, in fact, held the US directly responsible for the strike on the hospital, saying it bears responsibility along with Israel.
France, Netherlands, Spain, the UK and Japan did not hold any of the country responsible but have
asked for an investigation in the issue.
Amidst reports indicating towards an evidence that the hospital was hit with an MK84 bomb, an American aerial bomb capable of penetrating 38 cm of metal and 3.3 m of concrete,
the Pentagon also called on Israel to respect the laws of war.
An American daily - The New York Times had removed the mention of the Israeli strike from the headline of the hospital attack story which now reads: "Israel and Palestinians Blame Each Other for Blast at Gaza Hospital".
Russia, however, in clear terms has
held the US responsible for the attack on the hospital.
"...they (US) cynically earn money from wars in different countries and on different continents (and) thoughtlessly distribute huge amounts of money for weapons, loading their military-industrial complex," Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said.
Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, who condemned the strike on the hospital, said he was "deeply shocked" by the deaths caused by the attack.
In a social media post, Modi said he was
"deeply shocked" by the deaths in the attack and extended his condolences to the families of those killed. The Indian leader also raised concern over
civilian casualties in the war and called for those involved in the attack to be held responsible.