In anticipation of an upcoming visit by Vice President Joe Biden and other Arab leaders, a hospital in Gaza found itself under missile attack by Palestinian militants, resulting in several casualties. However, due to a wave of misinformation circulating on social media and in global news reports, the planned meeting between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi was abruptly canceled. Initially, a section of the political left appeared to accept the claims made by the Gaza Health Ministry, accusing Israel of a deliberate hospital strike.
Nonetheless, Israel disavowed these allegations, instead attributing the hospital attack, which led to over 500 casualties, to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Israeli officials held the Palestinian Islamic Jihad responsible for the incident.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement to clarify the situation, explaining that a missile barrage was launched towards Israel, passing in the vicinity of the hospital, inadvertently hitting the facility. It appeared that the hospital had become an unintended target of a misfired missile from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In light of these developments, Vice President Biden decided to call off the meeting before commencing his journey to Israel. Subsequently, Vice President Joe Biden expressed his condolences for the hospital explosion that transpired in the vicinity.