On Tuesday night, a deadly blast tore through Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza.
Hundreds are believed to have died in the attack, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza. Consequently, images of the bloody aftermath have spurred protests across the region.
Israel has laid out evidence it claims shows a misfired rocket by militant group Islamic Jihad caused the blast. Moreover, US President Joe Biden on Wednesday supported this explanation, citing US intelligence. A spokesperson for the National Security Council later mentioned that analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts, and open-source information suggested that Israel is “not responsible.”
However, Palestinian officials and several Arab leaders accused Israel of hitting the hospital amid its ongoing airstrikes in Gaza, targeting Hamas following the deadly terror attacks on October 7. Islamic Jihad, a rival group to Hamas also backed by Iran, has denied any responsibility.
Let’s delve into some headlines that have captured significant attention over the past week, along with notable photographs illustrating these events.
Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Patrick McHenry speaks to Republican Rep. Jim Jordan as the House of Representatives prepares to hold a vote on a new Speaker of the House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, October 18. Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, failed in his bid to become Speaker in two rounds of voting Wednesday, but affirmed Thursday afternoon he is still running for the position.People use special glasses to view the annular solar eclipse from San Antonio on Saturday, October 14. Eric Gay/APA SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is launched from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Friday, October 13. The spacecraft will travel about 2.2 billion miles over the next six years to reach a metal-rich asteroid located in the outer part of the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.Israelis take cover after hearing warning sirens of incoming rockets fired from Gaza in Rehovot, Israel, on Friday, October 13.A heron attempts to pluck a water snake from a wetland in Odisa, India, on Friday, October 13.Afghan people are caught in a sandstorm after an earthquake in Afghanistan’s Herat province on Thursday, October 12. Afghanistan was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on October 7, one of its deadliest quakes in years. Ebrahim Noroozi/APThe moon passes between Earth and the sun during a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday, October 14.A model gets her hair done backstage at a fashion show during Kibera Fashion week in the informal settlement of Kibera, Nairobi, on Sunday, October 15.An Israeli armored personnel carrier whips up dust near Israel’s border with Gaza on Sunday, October 15.Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson makes faces with his daughter during warmups before a game against the Philadelphia Flyers in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, October 12. Aaron Doster/USA Today/ReutersIowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark dribbles the ball during an exhibition game against DePaul at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, on Sunday, October 15. The match— the first women’s basketball game to be played outdoors in a football stadium—set an NCAA single-game record for the largest attendance in women’s basketball history, the NCAA said.Dancers rehearse at St. Paul the Apostle Church in New York on Thursday, October 19.US President Joe Biden is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday, October 18. Biden sent an emphatic message of support to Israel, promising new aid to Netanyahu’s government as it prepares fresh action against Hamas. Kenny Holston/The New York Times/ReduxA praying mantis climbs onto a man’s hand in Tehatta, India, on Sunday, October 15.Fatma Kanso mourns over the body of her son, Issam Abdallah, during his funeral in Al Khiyam, Lebanon, on Saturday, October 14. Abdallah, a Reuters video journalist, was killed in southern Lebanon after being struck by a shell that originated in Israel. Zohra Bensemra/ReutersA child is lifted into the air by her father as hot air balloons take flight during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Friday, October 13.Tourists walk and play in a field of pink grass in Huai’an City, China, on Sunday, October 15.House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise tallies votes during the second round of voting for a new Speaker of the House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, October 18.A dog named Tika the Iggy visits the Empire State Building on Thursday, October 12.6-year-old Octavia Jeram holds up a yellow rose during a vigil held in honor of Palestinians killed in Tuesday’s Al-Ahli hospital blast in London, England, on Wednesday, October 18.
