ROME: Italy’s foreign minister said an explosion at a hospital in Gaza City last week was not caused by a missile fired by Israel and also questioned the death toll reported by Palestinian officials.

“We need to avoid the negative impact of propaganda because that missile that was said to have caused 500 deaths, in reality it was around 50 people was not launched by Israel,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told the Sky TG24 news channel.

Israel did not strike al-Ahli hospital, Canada says

The Gaza health ministry has put the hospital death toll at 471.

Tajani did not say what evidence his comments were based on.