Federal government isn't saying who it thinks was behind Gaza hospital blast
CBC
The federal Liberal government dodged questions Wednesday about who Ottawa believes is responsible for the Gaza hospital blast that may have killed or maimed hundreds of people in the Palestinian territory.
Hamas has blamed an Israeli airstrike for the blast at the Ahli Arab Hospital, an Anglican Church-run facility in Gaza City.
The Israeli military has said a misfired rocket launched by other Palestinian militants was behind the explosion.
Images gathered by BBC News show that the hospital is still standing after the blast but there are blown-out windows, a small crater in the pavement near the site and burned-out vehicles and overturned cars nearby.
A BBC reporter on the scene said relief workers spent the morning gathering body parts of the deceased.
There are conflicting reports about just how many people died in the blast.
Speaking during a wartime visit to Israel Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said data from his defence department showed that the explosion likely was not caused by an Israeli airstrike.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson followed up later with a post on social media saying that an analysis of "overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information" showed Israel was not behind the attack.
The U.S. "continues to collect evidence," the spokesperson said.
"Based on what I've seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you," Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In question period in the House of Commons Wednesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asked if the government accepts Biden's statement about the cause of the hospital blast.
"Does he agree that the offending missile originated with terrorists in Gaza?" Poilievre asked of Trudeau, who was not in the Commons.
"Our government has been unequivocal in condemning the terrorist attacks of Hamas against Israeli citizens. We are also adamant that attacks on civilians are wrong. We call on all parties to observe international law. Our hearts go out to the innocent Palestinian victims that have died as a result of this attack," Government House Leader Karina Gould said.
Gould did not acknowledge Biden's comments about "the other team" being responsible.
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