• Protests erupted over the Gaza hospital explosion blamed on Israel.
• The IDF denied responsibility, citing a failed rocket launch.
• Arab nations condemned Israel; Erdogan called for action.

Protests against Israel erupted in multiple Middle Eastern and North African countries on Tuesday, triggered by an explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, which Palestinian officials attributed to Israel.

However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied this accusation, claiming that it was the result of a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants and not an airstrike due to the lack of structural damage at the hospital.

Several Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq, issued statements condemning Israel and accusing its military of bombing the hospital.

Anti-Israel protests occurred in Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, and the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

These events unfolded amid ongoing conflict in Gaza, which had been under siege by Israel in response to a large-scale terror attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7.

The situation escalated to the point where protesters gathered near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan, and Jordanian security forces had to disperse them, including using tear gas.

In Lebanon, protesters attempted to breach security barriers near the US embassy, leading to chaotic scenes.

In Iran, rallies were held outside the French and British embassies in Tehran, with demonstrators expressing strong anti-Israel sentiments. Similar protests took place in other Iranian cities.

Tunis, Tunisia, also saw mass protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people and against Israeli actions in Gaza.

In Istanbul, Turkish security forces used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse protesters who breached the compound where the Israeli consulate is situated.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the events in Gaza and called for international action to address the situation.

The explosion at the hospital led to the cancellation of a planned summit between US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in the West Bank.