Inflated figures: European and U.S. sources suggest that Hamas' version of 500 deaths in the Gaza hospital is an exaggeration

The death toll at the Al Ahli Baptist Hospital following an explosion last Tuesday remains the subject of controversy after the Hamas terrorist group, without supporting evidence, claims that alleged Israeli airstrikes killed 500 people.

Now, European and American sources accuse Hamas of inflating the figures after Israel and various independent analyses showed evidence suggesting that the impact on the hospital in Gaza was caused by a missile launched by a Palestinian terrorist group.

According to Reuters, an unclassified report from U.S. intelligence services states that the death toll after the health center explosion ranges between 100 and 300 people. Furthermore, he points out that Israel was not to blame for the tragic event.

“We judge that Israel was not responsible,” reads the report seen by Reuters. “Our assessment is based on available reporting, including intelligence, missile activity, and open-source video and images of the incident.”

“We estimate the number of deaths is probably at the low end of the 100-to-300 spectrum. We are still assessing the likely casualty figures and our assessment may evolve, but this death toll still reflects a staggering loss of life,” the report continued in the same document, which also says that the health center did not suffer major structural damage.

Not only does the United States have different figures than Hamas, but according to a highly regarded source in Europe’s intelligence services, the victims of the explosion could be 50 or even less, as reported by AFP.

The explosion at the health center in Gaza generated global controversy and a hostile climate worldwide against Israeli and American diplomatic headquarters around the world. The vast majority of international media, at first, had accepted Hamas’ version that Israel had attacked the hospital as valid, however, as the hours passed, evidence was published suggesting the opposite.

A live broadcast from Al Jazeera showcased a conversation between two terrorists who talk about how a missile against Israel failed, and moments later, the explosion occurred at the Al Ahli Baptist Hospital. The health center has no craters or extensive damage typical of the bombings that Israel launches to combat the terrorists in Gaza. Independent evidence, based on geolocation, also suggests that the missile that hit the hospital came from the Gaza Strip itself.