Palestinians and millions of Arabs had already been convinced by Joe Biden’s full-throated support for Israel before the Al-Ahli hospital was destroyed that the United States went beyond supporting Israel alone. Children were also believed to have been killed by Israel in Gaza, as they believed that the Americans were also complicit.

No one will change their minds about who was responsible for the attack despite the bitter dispute. There has been an increase in hatred and division over the past twelve days of war.

A detailed rebuttal of Israel’s allegations of attacking Al-Ahli was produced. According to the report, a missile fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad malfunctioned and fell well short of its target in Israel.

Palestinians – not just Hamas supporters – were all convinced by the piles of bloodstained body bags. In their view, the differences at Al-Ahli were not of principle, but of degree. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded Mr Biden that since Israel responded to the Hamas surprise attack, scores of Palestinians have been killed every day, mostly Israeli civilians. According to Palestinians, Al-Ahli was further evidence that Israel disregards their lives.

When Air Force One was warming up to take Joe Biden to the Middle East, the first reports of the hospital’s destruction emerged. The schedule was in tatters before he could leave.

There is a deep commitment between President Biden and Israel. For him, flying to Tel Aviv to show his support and embrace Mr Netanyahu must have seemed natural.

The vice president had hoped somehow to balance that out at a hastily-arranged summit in Amman, the Jordanian capital, where he planned to meet the king of Jordan, the president of Egypt, and the president of the Palestinian Authority.