After blast kills hundreds at Gaza hospital, Hamas and Israel trade blame as rage spreads in region

Hamas blamed an Israeli airstrike, while the Israeli military blamed a rocket misfired by other Palestinian militants. The war between Israel and Hamas was “pushing the region to the brink,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told state-run television. The Israeli military blamed Islamic Jihad, a smaller, more radical Palestinian militant group that often works with Hamas. Palestinians flee Israeli bombardment of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. Israeli soldiers gather in a staging area near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.