Terror group Hamas were on the lookout for a “public relations opportunity” ahead of the hospital bombing in Gaza that left hundreds dead, according to a foreign affairs expert.
James Marlow spoke to GB News about the incident that caused hundreds of casualties, which Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Israel have all denied responsibility for.
The blast has prompted an international response, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging a “calm and cool” response as the Government committed to publish an assessment of who was behind the blast.
Visiting Tel Aviv was US President Joe Biden, who did opt to take a side and blamed “the other team” as he showed solidarity with ally country Israel.
James Marlow says Hamas were on the hunt for a 'public relations opportunity'
GB NEWS / REUTERS
Speaking on GB News, Marlow said Hamas have been on the lookout for a “public relations opportunity” for some time that would help worsen the image of Israel on the international stage.
“They were looking for some type of an opportunity”, he said.
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“Hamas and Islamic Jihad were firing these rockets from Gaza City, which is why Israel were telling citizens to get out of the way.
“Questions weren’t being asked as to where, it was just ‘get out of the city, we need to take out more of the infrastructure of Hamas’.
“They put out a statement to say around 300 were dead because of an Israeli bomb, then it was 500, then some reports said 800.
“At the same time, I was watching some reports that the bombardment from missiles coming from Gaza City to southern Israel and also to the Tel Aviv area were under heavy bombardment, at the same time, this press release came out.”
An injured person is assisted at Shifa Hospital after an air strike hit the nearby Al-Ahli Hospital
ReutersHamas said an Israeli air strike led to the devastation at the al-Ahli hospital.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said at least 500 people were killed.
But the Israeli military blamed a misfiring rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group and released imagery and communications intercepts aimed at supporting their case.
Hundreds of Palestinians have taken refuge at al-Ahli and other hospitals in Gaza City in the past few days, hoping to be spared bombardment after Israel ordered all residents to evacuate to the southern Gaza Strip.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stressed that misattributing responsibility for the blast could “make things worse” as he was questioned over the difference in position between the UK and Biden.
Shapps said “we don’t yet know” who was behind the blast, adding: “I think it’s really important that we give them the opportunity to gather those facts so we don’t jump to conclusions.”
Sunak – who held talks with the National Security Adviser and the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee on Wednesday morning – said he would not “rush to judgment before we have all the facts on this awful situation”.
At Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons, he said: “Our intelligence services have been rapidly analysing the evidence to independently establish the facts. We are not in a position at this point to say more than that.”
During a visit to Essex on Wednesday afternoon, the Prime Minister said the “very heightened, sensitive situation” demanded “calm heads”.
