At least 500 people killed after an airstrike hit a packed Gaza hospital

Hundreds of people have been killed after an airstrike hit a packed hospital in Gaza.

The Hamas-run Health Ministry says the death toll could be more than 500 following the attack inside the besieged city, according to the Associated Press.

The outlet says if it's confirmed, this would be the deadliest airstrike in five wars fought since 2008.

Footage, which hasn't yet been verified, has been posted on social media claiming to show the moment the missile hits the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.

It was packed with people who have been wounded by Israel's retaliatory airstrikes as well as Palestinians who were seeking shelter.

This is thought to be the moment the hospital was hit. Doesn’t look like a failed Hamas rocket.
Possibly more than 500 killed. https://t.co/dtsgHVNg3k pic.twitter.com/9pnHZnNgFM

— James Longman (@JamesAALongman) October 17, 2023

The Palestinian government has released a statement, saying: "A new war crime committed by the occupation in the bombing of Al-Ahli Arabi Hospital in the center of Gaza City, resulting in the arrival of dozens of martyrs and injured at Al-Shifa Medical Complex due to the bombing.

"It should be noted that the hospital housed hundreds of patients, wounded, and displaced people from their homes forcibly due to the airstrikes."

Hamas added: "The horrific massacre carried out by the Zionist occupation in the Gaza City's Al Ahly Hospital which left hundreds of casualties, most of them displaced families, patients, children and women, is a crime of genocide that once again reveals the ugly face of this criminal enemy and its fascist and terrorist government.

"This also exposes the American and Western support for this criminal occupation."

The Palestinian foreign ministry called on the international community to step in and help them.

"Every rule of international law is being shredded as thousands are mercilessly massacred and millions of people are being stripped of their humanity, subjected to wanton killing, starvation and forced transfer, with no end in sight as Israeli occupying forces ... continue to pound the Gaza Strip, with thousands of missiles and bombs targeting civilian areas by air, land and sea and threats to commit mass murders," the ministry said.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says they are looking into the situation and questioned whether it was them or a failed Hamas launch that caused the explosion.

“We will get the details and update the public," he said.

"I don’t know to say whether it was an Israeli airstrike."

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) claims they have evidence that it wasn't them that fired the missile and it was a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group who is responsible.

“An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit,” IDF said on its Telegram account.

“Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza."

However, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has denied accusations that they are to blame, according to Reuters.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of mourning following the missile explosion.

Abbas says flags will be flown at half-mast to show solidarity to the victims of 'Israeli aggression on al-Ahli hospital and for all the people killed by the occupation'.

Israel is conducting a large-scale airstrike campaign in Gaza after Hamas terrorists launched a coordinated attack on Israeli civilians that killed at least 1,400 people.

At least 3,000 people in Gaza have been killed by these retaliatory airstrikes.