Whoever was responsible for the explosion that killed 7 people in the Gaza family last Friday, it was certainly a tragedy waiting to happen, and scripted to happen. On the one hand, Israel cannot be expected to do nothing while Qassam rockets rain down on Israeli towns from inside Gaza. On the other hand, any measures Israel takes to stop the rockets, which come from heavily populated areas (all of Gaza is heavily populated in any case) carries the risk of injury to innocents.
The people launching those rockets are in the terror business. Their aim is to demonstrate to the Israeli public that withdrawal from the territories won't stop terror, because if Israel does withdraw, these folks will be out out of a job. They are interested in demonstrating to Palestinians that Israel is evil. They win whether Palestinian rockets land in Israel or Israeli shells land in Gaza.
Hamas operatives have cleaned up the site of the incident, making it almost impossible to determine what happened.
Israeli sources express regret, but are careful not to accept responsibility.:
Chief of Staff Dan Halutz voiced regret over the incident but said that "expressing regret does not imply we are claiming responsibility for the affair... we will continue to investigate and will be happy to receive cooperation from the Palestinians."
IDF is investigating the incident:
Throughout the day, an inquiry into the killing was carried out, headed by commander of the Gaza Division, Brigadier-General Aviv Kohavi. According to Kohavi, the area where the Palestinian family was hit has been used by terror and Qassam squads in the last 10 months to fire rockets at Israel.
Defence Minister Peretz said:
we have a total obligation to protect the citizens of Israel. I admit that we indeed take risks when planning and executing operations, but this is a grave incident and it shall be thoroughly probed."
Of course, Palestinian sources are making the most out of this "massacre." Imagine this headline: "Hamas investigating death of Israeli civilians in suicide bombing." Imagine a Hamas or Islamic Jihad spokesperson saying they regreted the loss of life after a suicide bombing, and that this is a "grave incident" that "shall be thoroughly probed." Don't hold your breath until that happens.
The statement of PM Ehud Olmert is below.
Ami Isseroff
Information Department, Israel Foreign Ministry - Jerusalem
Website: http://www.mfa.gov.il
E-mail: feedback@mfa.gov.il
====================================================================
Jerusalem, 11 June 2006
PM Olmert comments at Cabinet meeting on Kassams and Gaza incident
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Following are Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's remarks at the start of the weekly
Cabinet meeting today (Sunday), 11.6.06:
"Over the weekend, serious events occurred in the Gaza Strip area. As a result
of an incident (http://tinyurl.com/neepz) which has yet to be fully inquired
into, seven members of one family were killed on the Gaza beach. We have
expressed our deep regret over the death of seven innocent civilians, we truly
regret this. Defense Minister Amir Peretz has instructed that an inquiry be
held into the exact circumstances of the event. Of course, the exact details
and the conclusions of the inquiry will be made public.
However, several things must be said: For many weeks, Kassam rockets - which
are designed to maim and kill Israelis who live in nearby communities - have
been fired from the Gaza Strip. This firing is very serious. It strikes at the
fabric of life in communities in southern Israel and threatens peoples' lives.
I have just been informed that an employee at Sapir College
(http://tinyurl.com/rfzu4) was severely wounded earlier this morning in a
direct hit. This is an unending series of terrorist attacks designed to strike
at civilians.
I reject outright any and all attempts to impinge on the morality of the IDF.
The IDF is the most moral military in the world; there has never been - and
there isn't now - a policy of attacking civilians. I support the IDF
commanders and soldiers who are working to halt the attacks on Israeli
citizens in the southern part of the country.
Hamas did not start operating this past weekend. For some time we have seen
the involvement of Hamas in terrorist activities and in assisting terrorist
activities. We note this and the statements that Hamas commanders have made
recently and we will know when and how to deal with it.
I want to make one thing clear - it has never been Israel's policy to attack
innocent civilians. This is the state of Israel's current and future policy.
At the same time, we will continue to act with full force against the firing
of Kassam rockets and will not refrain from operations that can foil rocket
firings anywhere and in any situation, as necessary."
Original content is Copyright by the author 2006. Posted at ZioNation-Zionism and Israel Web Log, http://www.zionism-israel.com/log/archives/00000110.html where your intelligent and constructive comments are welcome. Disributed by ZNN list. Subscribe by sending a message to ZNN-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Please forward by e-mail with this notice, cite this article and link to it. Other uses by permission only.
Replies: 1 Comment
"it has never been Israel's policy to attack
innocent civilians" ha ha ha ha YOU LIAR!! from Deir Yassin to Gaza's beach, there IS a direct 60 years line of clear 'Israel's policy to attack innocent civilians'
Boabdil, Monday, June 12th
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