News of the deadly explosion came just hours before President Biden departed for Israel for a visit Wednesday to deliver a message of support to a key U.S. ally following Hamas' terror rampage in southern Israel.
Mr. Biden had also planned to meet with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority on a stop in Jordan, but that meeting was canceled in the wake of the hospital tragedy.
Ahead of the president's visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. and Israel had "agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multinational organizations to reach civilians in Gaza," the small, densely populated Palestinian territory.
Relentless Israeli airstrikes and a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, imposed by Israel in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, have driven roughly half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents from their homes and created a humanitarian crisis as food, fuel and water all run desperately short.
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