A deadly Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital that killed 20 people, including five journalists, was targeting what the military believed was a Hamas surveillance camera, as well as people identified as militants, the Israeli military said on Tuesday.
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The military issued the statement as part of its initial inquiry into the attack on Nasser Hospital, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a “tragic mishap”.
The military said the back-to-back strikes on southern Gaza’s largest hospital were ordered because soldiers believed militants were using the camera to observe Israeli forces and because Israel has long believed Hamas and other militant groups are present at hospitals, though Israeli officials rarely provide evidence.
The military’s chief of general staff acknowledged several “gaps” in the investigation so far, including the kind of ammunition used to take out the camera.
The initial investigation’s findings emerged on Tuesday as a surge of outrage and unanswered questions mounted, after international leaders and rights groups condemned the strikes.
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Earlier on Tuesday, protesters in Israel set tyres ablaze, blocked highways and clamoured for a ceasefire that would free hostages still in Gaza, even as Israeli leaders moved forward with plans for an offensive which they argue is needed to defeat Hamas.