U.S. President Joe Biden has backed the Israeli account of the deadly attack on a Gaza hospital by blaming Palestinian resistance groups for the explosion.
His comments come during a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday when he also denounced the Palestinian group Hamas for bringing "only suffering."
"I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday. And based on what I've seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you," Biden said as he opened a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
"But there's a lot of people out there not sure so we have to overcome a lot of things," Biden said.
Health authorities in Gaza said the explosion killed over 500 people and was caused by the latest in a wave of Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli military blamed Palestinian militants, saying an outgoing Islamic Jihad rocket misfired and that it would provide evidence.
"We have to bear in mind that Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people and has brought them only suffering," Biden said.
He said he was encouraging Netanyahu to ensure "life-saving capacity to help the Palestinians who are innocent and caught in the middle of this."
In announcing Biden's visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel had agreed to work with the United States on a plan to let aid into Gaza, which has been besieged and bombarded for 12 days and under an Israeli blockade for 16 years.
Israel is threatening a ground invasion following the Oct. 7 incursion by Hamas.
Biden said he was "proud" to visit Israel.
"I want to say to the people of Israel – their courage, their commitment and their bravery is stunning," Biden said.
Netanyahu hailed Biden for paying "the first visit of an American president in Israel in a time of war."
"There's only one thing better than having a true friend like you standing with Israel and that is having you standing in Israel," Netanyahu said.
