Palestinian medics reported that Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed 14 Palestinians in separate attacks. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed it was striking a rocket launch site and “terror infrastructure” after detecting a rocket launched from the area of Gaza City that fell short and landed by a hospital inside the enclave. Israel branded the launch as a violation of the ceasefire by Hamas.

In a formulation supported by multiple Western outlets, the IDF asserted that these strikes were a legitimate response to a “failed projectile” launched by Palestinian militants, the same narrative that has been used to justify previous atrocities such as the bombing of Gaza’s al‑Ahli hospital in 2023 and other attacks later exposed as Israeli war crimes.

A Palestinian militant source told Reuters and other wire services that the organization was still “checking” the allegation of a misfired rocket, underscoring that even on its own terms, Israel’s story remains unsubstantiated while the civilian death toll mounts.