A rocket fired from Gaza caused the Al-Ahli Hospital blast that killed hundreds of people last week, Rishi Sunak has said.
The prime minister told MPs this afternoon that analysis by British officials had ruled out the possibility that an Israeli air strike was responsible for the devastation last Wednesday.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry blamed the Israel Defence Force (IDF) for the explosion, but that was swiftly denied by Tel Aviv.
In a statement to MPs following his visit to Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Sunak said: “We have taken care to look at all the evidence currently available.
“On the basis of the deep knowledge and analysis of our weapons experts, the British government judges that the explosion was likely caused by a missile or part of one that was launched from within Gaza towards Israel.”
The prime minister also criticised the “misreporting” of the blast which had initially blamed it on an Israeli air strike.
He said it had “a negative effect in the region, including on a vital US diplomatic mission and on tensions here at home”.
Joe Biden last week said America also believed the hospital blast was caused by Islamists.
“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden said, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
Canadian and French intelligence have also said it is highly unlikely that the carnage was caused by the Israelis.
Elsewhere in his statement, Sunak said: “We stand resolutely with Israel in defending itself against terror.
The prime minister also announced that the UK will spend an additional £20 million in humanitarian aid to help Gaza’s civilian population, on top of the £10m the government had already pledged.
Some 1,400 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken hostage after an attack by the Hamas militant group two weeks ago.
Gaza’s health ministry says more than 5,000 Palestinians have died as a result of retaliatory strikes by Israel.