A recently declassified U.S. intelligence report reviewed by Reuters on Thursday estimated the number of casualties from the explosion at a hospital in Gaza to be "likely within the range of 100 to 300." However, the report added that this assessment could evolve.
Palestinian officials reported that 471 people were killed in the explosion at the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital late Tuesday. The Gaza Health Ministry blamed an Israeli airstrike, while Israel stated that the explosion resulted from a failed rocket launch carried out by Islamic Jihad.
The report stated: "We see that Israel is not responsible... Our assessment is based on available reports, including intelligence information, rocket activity, and open-source videos and images of the incident." It continued, "We estimate that the number of fatalities is probably at the lower end of the range of 100 to 300. We are still assessing the potential victim numbers, and our assessment may evolve, but this death toll still reflects a significant loss of life."
The report noted that there was "only minor structural damage to the hospital" and that there was no "notable damage to the main building of the hospital and no craters from an impact."
