Israeli strikes hit civilian facilities at Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital, not underground targets: NY Times analysis
Israel blames Palestinians for the “misfired projectile” but experts who analyzed photos and videos tell the newspaper the missiles appear to have been fired by Israeli forces
The strikes on Friday, Nov. 10, hit several parts of the medical facility and, according to hospital authorities, killed 7 people. Local media reported at least 10 people died
Updated 15 November 2023
Arab News
LONDON: Parts of Al-Shifa hospital, including its courtyard, an outpatient clinic and a fifth-floor maternity ward, were hit by Israeli strikes on Friday, Nov. 10, that did not appear to be targeting underground infrastructure, according to an analysis of video and photographic evidence by the New York Times.
The newspaper’s report comes as Israel faces mounting international pressure to stop targeting hospitals and other civilian targets in Gaza.
The Israeli military has repeatedly stated it has evidence that Hamas established a command center in tunnels beneath the hospital, which is the largest medical center in Gaza. Based on this, it has been a key target in the military response to the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. Hospital officials deny the allegations and Hamas has said it does not use hospitals for military purposes.
The strikes in the early hours of Friday hit several parts of the medical facility and, according to hospital authorities, killed seven people. Local media outlets reported that at least 10 people died. Israel blamed Palestinian militants, saying a “misfired projectile” targeting Israeli forces hit the hospital instead.
However, evidence collected by the New York Times and analyzed by experts suggested Al-Shifa was hit by Israeli munitions that “did not appear to be targeting underground infrastructure.” In a report published on Tuesday, the newspaper said that “two of the most severe strikes hit upper floors of the maternity ward.”
Its conclusions were based on photographs of weapons fragments the newspaper collected and verified, and analysis of video footage filmed on Friday by a social media influencer, Saleh Al-Jafarawi, and Gazan journalists Motasem Mortaja and Ahmed Hijazee.
The experts who analyzed the evidence said that at least three of the projectiles that struck Al-Shifa appeared to be Israeli munitions. Videos suggest that they were fired at the hospital from locations to the north and south, where Israeli forces were positioned.
The videos and photos obtained by the New York Times showed that sometime after 2 a.m. on Friday, a strike hit the fifth floor of a maternity unit at the hospital.
This was followed about an hour and a half later by a blast when a projectile hit the busy entrance to an outpatient clinic. A video filmed by the journalist Hijazee showed “chaotic scenes of men, women and children wounded in the strike,” the New York Times said, and two children apparently dead on the ground.
Thousands of displaced Gazans, including women and children, had been taking shelter at the hospital since the Israeli assault on the besieged territory began last month. After the strikes on Friday, thousands fled south but hundreds remain there, along with hospital staff and patients.
The New York Times said in its report that the Israel Defense Forces “declined to comment on the evidence,” saying that because of the “specific military activity currently underway, we are unable to address or confirm specific queries.”
This week, Israeli troops raided Al-Shifa on Wednesday morning in what they described as a “precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area.” Six tanks were deployed in the courtyard of the medical complex and about 100 commandos searched rooms in the buildings there, according to local media reports.
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday it was “extremely worried” about medics and patients at the hospital, as it had lost contact with its staff there.
A look back at how Arab News marked its 50th anniversary
In a year crowded with news, the paper still managed to innovate and leverage AI to become available in 50 languages
Golden Jubilee Gala, held at the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh, now available to watch on YouTube
Updated 31 December 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: In 2025, the global news agenda was crowded with headlines concerning wars, elections and rapid technological change.
Inside the newsroom of Arab News, the year carried additional weight: Saudi Arabia’s first English-language daily marked its 50th anniversary.
And with an industry going through turmoil worldwide, the challenge inside the newsroom was how to turn a midlife crisis into a midlife opportunity.
For the newspaper’s team members, the milestone was less about nostalgia than about ensuring the publication could thrive in a rapidly changing and evolving media landscape.
“We did not want just to celebrate our past,” said Faisal J. Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News. “But more importantly, we were constantly thinking of how we can keep Arab News relevant for the next five decades.”
Faisal J. Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News. (Supplied)
The solution, he added, came down to two words: “Artificial intelligence.”
For the Arab News newsroom, AI was not a replacement for journalism but as a tool to extend it.
“It was like having three eyes at once: one on the past, one on the present, and one on the future,” said Noor Nugali, the newspaper’s deputy editor-in-chief.
Noor Nugali, deputy editor-in-chief of Arab News. (Supplied)
One of the first initiatives was the 50th anniversary commemorative edition, designed as a compact historical record of the region told through Arab News’ own reporting.
“It was meant to be like a mini history book, telling the history of the region using Arab News’ archive with a story from each year,” said Siraj Wahab, acting executive editor of the newspaper.
The issue, he added, traced events ranging from the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war in 1975 to the swearing-in of Donald Trump, while also paying homage to former editors-in-chief who shaped the newspaper’s direction over five decades.
The anniversary edition, however, was only one part of a broader strategy to signal Arab News’ focus on the future.
To that end, the paper partnered with Google to launch the region’s first AI-produced podcast using NotebookLM, an experimental tool that synthesizes reporting and archival material into audio storytelling.
The project marked a regional first in newsroom-led AI audio production.
The podcast was unveiled during a special 50th anniversary ceremony in mid-November, held on the sidelines of the Arab Media Forum, hosted by the Dubai Future Foundation. The event in the UAE’s commercial hub drew regional media leaders and officials.
Remarks at the event highlighted the project as an example of innovation in legacy media, positioning Arab News as a case study in digital reinvention rather than preservation alone.
“This is a great initiative, and I’m happy that it came from Arab News as a leading media platform, and I hope to see more such initiatives in the Arab world especially,” said Mona Al-Marri, director-general of the Government of Dubai Media Office, on the sidelines of the event.
“AI is the future, and no one should deny this. It will take over so many sectors. We have to be ready for it and be part of it and be ahead of anyone else in this interesting field.”
Behind the scenes, another long-form project was taking shape: a documentary chronicling Arab News’ origins and its transformation into a global, digital-first newsroom.
“While all this was happening, we were also working in-house on a documentary telling the origin story of Arab News and how it transformed under the current editor into a more global, more digital operation,” said Nugali.
The result was “Rewriting Arab News,” a documentary examining the paper’s digital transformation and its navigation of Saudi Arabia’s reforms between 2016 and 2018. The film charted editorial shifts, newsroom restructuring and the challenges of reporting during a period of rapid national change.
The documentary was screened at the Frontline Club in London, the European Union Embassy, Westminster University, and the World Media Congress in Bahrain. It later became available on the streaming platform Shahid and onboard Saudi Arabian Airlines.
The grand slam of the anniversary year was the Golden Jubilee of Arab News gala, held in late September in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter. (AN photo)
It was also nominated for an Association for International Broadcasting award.
In early July, a special screening of the documentary took place at the EU Embassy in Riyadh. During the event, EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Christophe Farnaud described the film as an “embodiment” of the “incredible changes” that the Kingdom is undergoing.
“I particularly appreciate … the historical dimension, when (Arab News) was created in 1975 — that was also a project corresponding to the new role of the Kingdom,” Farnaud said. “Now the Kingdom has entered a new phase, a spectacular phase of transformation.”
Part of the documentary is narrated by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former Saudi ambassador to the US, who in the film delves into the paper’s origins.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former Saudi ambassador to the US. (AN photo)
The grand slam of the anniversary year was the Golden Jubilee of Arab News gala, held in late September in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter.
Hosted by the Dean of Diplomatic Corps in Saudi Arabia and Ambassador of Djibouti to Riyadh Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama, the evening featured a keynote address by Prince Turki, who spoke about Arab News’ founding under his father, the late King Faisal, and its original mission to present the Kingdom to the English-speaking world.
The Dean of Diplomatic Corps in Saudi Arabia and Ambassador of Djibouti to Riyadh Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama (far left). (AN photo)
Arab News was established in Jeddah in 1975 by brothers Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz under the slogan to give Arabs a voice in English while documenting the major transformations taking place across the Middle East.
The two founders were honored with a special trophy presented by Prince Turki, Assistant Media Minister Abdullah Maghlouth, Editor-in-Chief Abbas, and family member and renowned columnist Talat Hafiz on behalf of the founders.
During the gala, Abbas announced Arab News’ most ambitious expansion yet: the launch of the publication in 50 languages, unveiled later at the World Media Congress in Madrid in cooperation with Camb.AI.
The grand slam of the anniversary year was the Golden Jubilee of Arab News gala, held in late September in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter. (AN photo)
The Madrid launch in October underscored Arab News’ aim to reposition itself not simply as a regional paper, but as a global platform for Saudi and Middle Eastern perspectives.
The event was attended by Princess Haifa bint Abdulaziz Al-Mogrin, the Saudi ambassador to Spain; Arab and Spanish diplomats; and senior editors and executives.
As the anniversary year concluded, Arab News released the full video of the Golden Jubilee Gala to the public for the first time, making the event accessible beyond the room in which it was held.
For a newspaper founded in an era of typewriters and wire copy, the message of its 50th year was clear: longevity alone is not enough. Relevance, the newsroom concluded, now depends on how well journalism adapts without losing sight of its past.
