The foreign ministry of North Korea accused Israel of bombing a hospital in the Gaza Strip on October 17, saying it had openly committed a war crime “under the undisguised patronage of the United States.”
In a statement carried by state-run news agency KCNA, a ministry spokesman also criticized the United States for “giving Israel a green light to massacre Palestinians without any worries” by providing it with weapons and military assistance, including deploying aircraft carriers in the Middle East.
The spokesman said, “This shows that the US is an accomplice who connived at and fostered Israel’s genocide.” The foreign ministry statement did not provide any evidence to back its comments.
North Korean state media has constantly argued against Western views, particularly those of the United States, on international issues. It also routinely lashes out at the United States.
Earlier this month, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said 471 people were killed in a blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital. Palestinians and Arab states said an Israeli air strike hit the hospital.
Israel said that the blast was caused by a failed rocket launch by Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, which has denied responsibility.
A US official said on Tuesday that US intelligence officials have “high confidence” that the explosion was caused by a Palestinian rocket that broke up mid-flight, and not by Israel.
US officials said that there is still uncertainty around the death toll from the hospital blast and the number of injuries.
