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Russian envoy says Gaza hospital was attacked before, too

The previous attack took place a few days ago without as deadly consequences as this time

MOSCOW, October 18. /TASS/. The Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City already came under rocket attacks several days ago, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov told Rossiya-24 television.

"In this light, I’d like to say that, according to information at our disposal, this isn’t the first time that that hospital has been attacked, as rockets hit the same hospital a few days ago, without as deadly consequences as this time though," he said.

The Russian diplomat expressed concern over the situation facing the population of 1,300 Christians in the Middle East and in the zone of the latest escalation between Palestine and Israel who he said suffered immensely.

More than 500 people were killed in Tuesday’s attack on the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City. The Palestinian radical group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, pinned the blame on Israel’s Air Force, while Israel denied responsibility, saying that the powerful explosion had resulted from a misfired rocket launched from within the Palestinian enclave by Islamic Jihad.

Palestine and Syria declared official public morning for a period of three days, while Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas withdrew from a summit in Amman slated for October 19.