Results: Misinformation campaign? Gaza hospital attack incorrectly blamed on Israel

The Gaza Health Ministry, under the control of Hamas, first reported that the hospital had been hit at 7:20 PM local time on Tuesday evening. Almost instantaneously, reports of devastation, flattened buildings, and a death toll of at least 500 from an alleged "Israeli bombing" flooded global media outlets, including prominent American news organizations such as The New York Times, ABC News, CNN, and the Associated Press. Did you hear the initial reports about the hospital attack that "killed 500 people?"

"Breaking: At least 500 people have been killed in a strike that targeted Al Ahli Arab Hospital in the middle of Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The hospital served as a shelter for thousands of residents who fled their homes in northern Gaza." However, it was immediately apparent that the reported details were not aligning. There were almost immediately several pieces of information suggesting that the damage was likely caused by a misfired rocket from Gaza. Shortly after publishing, video evidence surfaced, not from Israeli sources, but from a live broadcast on Al Jazeera. The footage, complete with a timestamp, inadvertently revealed that at 6:59 PM, a rocket was launched from Gaza, detonated mid-air, and subsequently fell onto the hospital grounds. Does it seem unprofessional and irresponsible that the mainstream media sources here in America, such as those named above in Q1, would opt to repeat the information that was initially put out by Hamas news sources before doing any fact checking of their own?

"The evidence is pretty clear now. It was a Gaza missile, aimed at Israel, killing its own people." By early Wednesday morning, additional evidence had surfaced, including an intercepted conversation between jihadists admitting that a rocket had misfired near the hospital, causing the destruction. Does it surprise you that the Gaza-controlled media would report that the misfired Hamas rocket would be blamed on Israel and the death tolls largely exaggerated to generate sympathy for those in Gaza?

While the evidence was already dubious, the daylight revealed even more shocking visuals at the hospital site. "Full footage from TASS, no impact craters, interior spaces appear to be intact. Injuries from flying glass appear to have occurred." Drone footage from before and after the incident corroborated these findings, showing no signs consistent with an airstrike. The hospital itself was largely unscathed, save for some shattered windows. The rocket appears to have fallen short, landing in the parking lot and igniting several vehicles. The damage seems to have been caused by a fire from the unspent rocket fuel, rather than a high-explosive bomb from the Israeli Air Force. By repeating information so freely by the Hamas news sources without corroborating anything, does it seem the local news is, at least unintentionally, aiding the terrorist group's misinformation campaign?

Moreover, the claim of 500 fatalities seems to be entirely fabricated. A more realistic estimate suggests a few dozen casualties at most, assuming the parking lot was heavily populated. As some have indicated, it would have been impossible for Hamas to recover and count 500 bodies from a supposedly still-burning hospital within an hour. The claim was implausible from the outset. Do you think after this incident - local news networks should be doubly cautious before reporting anything from the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza - since, some would say, the bias seems obvious?