Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 24-7 at background briefing.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we'll examine a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with the dust settling on what yesterday seemed like a monstrous war crime,

but today might have been a tragedy caused by a malfunctioning missile fired by Islamic Jihad

that struck the parking lot of an Episcopalian hospital in Gaza, causing casualties, but nothing on the scale

of the 500 that Palestinian authorities first announced. Joining us to assess the latest available

intelligence is William Arkin, a senior editor newsweek and one of America's premier military and

intelligence experts who has been a consultant to

wide-ranging organizations, including the United States Air Force, the United Nations Secretary

General, Human Rights Watch, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The best-selling

author of more than a dozen books, including The Generals Have No Clothes, The Untold Story of Our

Endless Wars. His latest book is on that day, the definitive

timeline of 9-11, and we will discuss his latest article at Newsweek, why US Intel says Israel

did not attack Gaza Hospital. Then we'll get a local reaction to President Biden's short visit

to Israel, which would have been longer had the leaders

of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority not canceled meetings with him. Joining us from

Israel is Hagamata, an award-winning Israeli journalist and political activist. He is the

executive director of 972 magazine, and he has a forthcoming article at The Guardian

on Biden's just concluded visit to Israel.

Then finally we'll look into Jim Jordan's second vote for Speaker, which failed today,

with the House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, getting 212 votes to Jordan's

199, with 21 Republicans voting against

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