Fog of war has become stench of war and Targetnews staff reports all relevant information very cautiously .
Rumors and speculations have been swirling on social media following the devastating explosion at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City on Wednesday, October 18th. While the circumstances surrounding the blast are unclear, it is apparent that a rocket, or a part of a rocket, struck the hospital. The Ministry of Health in Gaza, managed by Hamas, labeled as a terrorist organization by various countries, reported around 500 casualties from the incident, but the exact number remains disputed.
Social media is flooded with questions about whether the Israeli army intentionally targeted the hospital, if a Hamas rocket malfunctioned, or if the Palestinian Islamic Jihad was involved. There were even claims that the Israeli army bombed the hospital due to a lack of medical supplies, which was debunked by examining an unverified screenshot from an unofficial Facebook page. Targetnews staff has also dismissed various videos, circulating online attempting to determine the cause of the blast, as inconclusive or unrelated.
Even major sites like Al-Jazeera fall victim to misinformation. The Qatari news agency initially reported the blast as an Israeli airstrike, but later left the blame open due to conflicting statements from Palestinian and Israeli officials. A false claim suggested an Al-Jazeera reporter accused her own network of lying, but the account making this claim was suspicious, with limited history and signs of being a troll account.
In the aftermath of this tragic event, misinformation and uncertainty abound in the online sphere. Targetnews doesn’t hunt “easy” clicks and will keep on reporting responsibly.
