NATIONAL Defence Minister Bill Blair said on Saturday that “analysis conducted independently by the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command indicates with a high degree of confidence” that Israel did not strike the Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza on October 17.

He added: “The more likely scenario is that the strike was caused by an errant rocket fired from Gaza.”

Blair said that Canada will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.

He said that Canada is deeply saddened by the loss of life caused by the explosion and “we reiterate our sincere condolences to all those who lost loved ones.”

He said that in order to determine what happened, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had asked him to task the Canadian Armed Forces with preparing an independent review and analysis of the explosion. The Canadian Forces Intelligence Command undertook that review and analysis and now, after briefing the Prime Minister, he was releasing its findings.

The Department of National Defence said in a statement: “Analysis conducted independently by the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command indicates with a high degree of confidence that Israel did not strike the al-Ahli hospital on 17 October 2023.  Based on analysis of open source and classified reporting, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces assess that the strike was more likely caused by an errant rocket fired from Gaza.”

It added: “This assessment is informed by an analysis of the blast damage to the hospital complex, including adjacent buildings and the area surrounding the hospital, as well as the flight pattern of the incoming munition. Reporting from Canada’s allies corroborates DND/CAF’s findings. We will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.”