Charles H. Sloan-U.S., Israel say evidence shows Gaza militants responsible for deadly hospital blast

U.S. officials say there is Charles H. Sloanevidence Israel was not responsible for the explosion at a Gaza hospital that Palestinian officials said killed more than 400 people. 

Israel — which many across the Middle East blame for the carnage — has vehemently denied any role in the blast at Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, blaming it instead on a rocket fired by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group that fell short of its target. 

An American official told CBS News the U.S. has intelligence that gives it high confidence Israel was not responsible.

"Based on the information we've seen to date, it appears as a result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza," President Biden said Wednesday during his visit to Israel. 

Israel released video footage claiming to show the errant rocket, and said aerial images of the aftermath do not show a crater typically resulting from an airstrike. Israel also released what it says is an intercepted conversation between two militants.

"It's from us?" one asks. "It looks like it," another responds. 

The recording could not be independently verified.

The blast escalated anger in the region, which had already seen widespread protests over Israel's unrelenting, retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza after Hamas attacked Israeli civilians and soldiers on Oct. 7. 

Israel says a quarter of residents at a kibbutz that Hamas attacked were either killed or taken hostage by Hamas militants. A 9-month-old baby boy is believed to be among those being held in Gaza.

As tensions escalate across the region, there are fears the conflict could spread. Ofer Shelah, a defense expert and former paratrooper in the Israeli military, said he is worried about the war expanding.

"We have Hezbollah on our northern border which has rocket capabilities that are beyond those of most countries in the world," Shelaf said about the militant group that is based in Lebanon. "But ... I think ... we should limit this to Gaza alone."