Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad has described as “lies” the Israel army’s accusations that it was responsible for a strike on a Gaza hospital that left hundreds dead.

At least 200 people were killed in an air strike at the Anglican-run Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday, local health officials said, prompting global condemnation and fury.

Hamas claimed that Israel was behind the attack on the hospital in but Israel’s military blamed a malfunctioning rocket fired from within the Gaza Strip.

“The accusations put forward by the enemy are false and baseless,” Islamic Jihad said in a statement.

According to the group, the hospital had been ordered to evacuate by Israel under threat of bombardment, and it was a bomb dropped by an Israeli plane that caused the tragedy.

The strike has provoked violent protests across the Middle East with Western embassies targeted in Turkey, Tunisia and Lebanon.

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