Biden’s Middle East Mission Unraveling After Deadly Hospital Blast

Arab countries blame Israel for deadly hospital blast
Alarm grows that war could widen as Israel prepares invasion

WATCH: Gaza officials say hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a hospital explosion that they blame on an Israeli air strike, an accusation Israel has denied. Anna Edgerton reports.Source: Bloomberg

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By Jordan Fabian, Iain Marlow, and Ethan Bronner

October 17, 2023 at 9:57 PM UTC

Updated on

October 17, 2023 at 11:20 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

President Joe Biden’s dramatic war-time visit to Israel and Jordan began to unravel even before he left the ground, after an explosion at a Gaza hospital left hundreds dead and Arab leaders pulled out of a meeting planned for the trip.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza authorities said it was an Israeli airstrike. Israel pointed the finger at a failed missile from militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The US called for an investigation.