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IDF insists Gaza mother, four children killed by militants' explosives, not shell
By Amos Harel, Yuval Azoulay and Barak Ravid
Tags: Israel Defense Forces 

The security cabinet will meet Wednesday to hear a report from the IDF on the findings of its investigation into the incident Monday in which a mother and four of her children were killed during an operation in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.

The IDF decided to initiate a probe into Monday's killing in order to verify the cause of the blast that killed the Palestinian family. Assigned to lead the investigation is the colonel in charge of the artillery units in the Southern Command. Major General Yoav Galant, the head of Southern Command and Air Force head Major General Eliezer Shkedi, decided Monday to initiate the probe due to the Palestinian claims - which received significant coverage in the international media - that the five family members were killed by a missile fired by an IAF aircraft.

Speaking at Tuesday's cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed "deep remorse" at the deaths, but did not apologize.
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"This is a tragic event, that Israel deeply regrets. However, we do not yet know the exact circumstances. The IDF will investigate and release the exact findings." Olmert also said that "our sorrow is sincere and more real than the fake remorse of the terrorist organizations that expose their citizens to such injuries."

The prime minister added: "We are sorry that Israeli citizens have been injured for many years. We are sorry for a boy whose leg was amputated just a few weeks ago by a Qassam rocket. We are sorry for many citizens who have lived for years under the ceaseless threat of rockets and acts of terror that disrupt their lives.

The IDF has denied the Palestinian claims and argued that the missile had been fired at two Palestinian gunmen who stood near the family's home - a hut made of tin sidings. The army says that it is likely the two militants carried explosives which were detonated by the blast of the missile, resulting in the destruction of the house.

The probe is based on two main sources of information: a video recording taken by a drone overflying the area, which is believed to show, albeit not very clearly, that after the missile strike another explosion ensued, probably from explosives carried by the gunmen; and the testimony of air force and Givati Brigade officers. The Givati officers, members of the brigade's reconnaissance battalion, were on the ground in proximity to the area where the blast occurred. They called in the air strike against the gunmen.

However, military sources admitted Tuesday that the evidence available is limited; in part because the IDF is not in control of the area where the incident occurred and is therefore unable to collect physical evidence that can prove whether a secondary explosion occurred after the missile struck.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak reiterated statements made Monday, in which he placed the blame for the death of the five civilians on Hamas. "Hamas is responsible for the violence in the Gaza Strip. The way it operates endangers innocent civilians."

He also said that Israel and Hamas are not closer to a cease-fire agreement. "I think we are now in a confrontation with Hamas. This seems to be more accurate than the likelihood of a hudna [cease-fire]."
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  1.   Apology? 03:01  |  jjvanka 30/04/08
  2.   The Way I see It Haaretz. 04:22  |  Cool B 30/04/08
  3.   Israel-haters:"Move along, nothing to see here" 04:50  |  Free Gilad Shalit 30/04/08
  4.   RELEASE THE VIDEO 05:47  |  Mark of Lewiston 30/04/08
  5.   A simple question that needs to be asked.... 06:25  |  Johnboy 30/04/08
  6.   Pal Children Forced To Share Party Walls With Amateur Bomb Makers 06:32  |  Lavi 30/04/08
  7.   I told you this yesterday, and there are other witnesses 06:47  |  Ali-AP Reporter 30/04/08
  8.   5 Ali - Release Your Video, too 07:22  |  Mark of Lewiston 30/04/08
  9.   AP reporter 07:42  |  Shosha 30/04/08
  10.   Pal Children Forced To Share Party Walls With Amateur Bomb Makers 07:59  |  Lavi 30/04/08
  11.   #4 Jihadboy 08:12  |  Norman 30/04/08
  12.   Johnboy - not good with numbers 10:23  |  Rafterman 30/04/08
  13.   Immoral IDF 11:12  |  Marwan 30/04/08
  14.   A good question that needs to be asked... 12:27  |  Joe Sittizen 30/04/08
  15.   Cool B: Why Anyone Believes You 13:56  |  Tex 30/04/08
  16.   IDF investigates self & is innocent!!! 14:54  |  Michael 30/04/08
  17.   #5, johnboy, how come you never question... 15:02  |  DR 30/04/08
  18.   #12 - Good point Rafterman 15:05  |  JES 30/04/08
  19.   #16 - Michael 15:10  |  JES 30/04/08
  20.   Johnboy`s simple question 16:09  |  Free Gilad Shalit 30/04/08
  21.   #15 Tex 16:42  |  Cool B 30/04/08
  22.   Cool B: Israel Has Been Around For 60 Years 18:53  |  Tex 30/04/08
  23.   Sorry for them and us!!!!!!!!!!! 20:07  |  Erez 30/04/08
  24.   #2 Cool B 21:48  |  DR 30/04/08
  25.   Cool B has a second grade education! 22:42  |  DR 30/04/08
  26.   #13 Tosefta aka Muslim,ake Allah u ..aka Marwan etc 02:17  |  Go home 01/05/08
  27.   #20 An impressive non-answer, FGS 04:20  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  28.   #17 Another impressive non-answer, DR 04:26  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  29.   To Go home 04:31  |  Oleg 01/05/08
  30.   "Immoral IDF"/Marwan 05:11  |  Gary 01/05/08
  31.   Thats right Tex 05:12  |  Denise 01/05/08
  32.   #14 Btselem has your answers, Joe Sittizen 05:22  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  33.   #16 And it`s not just that the IDF investigates itself, Michael. 05:33  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  34.   Tex: and how much longer, one wonders...? 05:50  |  Silvienne 01/05/08
  35.   more lies from the arpathied state 08:59  |  SJ 01/05/08
  36.   #32 - Johnboy 09:49  |  JES 01/05/08
  37.   #18 2nd try to reply to a deeply ignorant JES 11:29  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  38.   #12 Rafterman, not good with facts 11:47  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  39.   #36 Btselem knows, JES 12:08  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  40.   IDF LIARs 12:21  |  Sean 01/05/08
  41.   #37 - And again... 12:27  |  JES 01/05/08
  42.   #41 JES sticks his fingers in his ears..... 12:49  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  43.   #41 I`ll think I`ll just pocket this post of yours JES 13:14  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  44.   #41 Further confirmation here, JES 13:30  |  Johnboy 01/05/08
  45.   #42 - Johnboy 15:39  |  JES 01/05/08
  46.   #40, Sean and #28 Johnboy 16:31  |  DR 01/05/08
  47.   #40, Sean... 16:57  |  Silvienne 01/05/08
  48.   #45 No JES, you go wrong here... 02:21  |  Johnboy 02/05/08
  49.   #45 Wrong here too JES 02:25  |  Johnboy 02/05/08
  50.   #46 DR - Talk about missing the point! 02:35  |  Johnboy 02/05/08
  51.   I lit a match next to gasoline. 03:13  |  Michael 02/05/08
  52.   Post this video so all can see it, please. 03:40  |  Nechama 02/05/08
  53.   idf killers No46 DR 04:06  |  Sean 02/05/08
  54.   #53 He is a moron, Sean. It is as simple as that. 05:34  |  Johnboy 02/05/08
  55.   #47 No, no surprises here, Silvienne 05:47  |  Johnboy 02/05/08
  56.   Like the Qana video maybe? 06:21  |  Marilyn 02/05/08
  57.   DR...time to move to Israel? 06:33  |  Silvienne 02/05/08
  58.   #40 - Sorry, Sean 07:05  |  JES 02/05/08
  59.   Johnboy the liar.Again. 07:14  |  Canadian 02/05/08
  60.   #57 Silvienne 07:55  |  Curious 02/05/08
  61.   #48, 49 - Johnboy 07:58  |  JES 02/05/08
  62.   Johnboy - Was IDF attacking militants 09:49  |  Reid 02/05/08
  63.   Silvienne - You don`t anything about Intl Law 09:58  |  Reid 02/05/08
  64.   Israelis weapons don`t kill 11:11  |  Manolo 02/05/08
  65.   #59 Canadian - U R As Dim As. 14:21  |  Johnboy 02/05/08
  66.   #61 Detecting whitewashes made simple, JES 14:40  |  Johnboy 02/05/08
  67.   johnboy proportionality 16:38  |  odles 02/05/08
  68.   #60, curious calls me a hero--how nice! 17:29  |  Silvienne 02/05/08
  69.   #58, JES... 17:30  |  Silvienne 02/05/08
  70.   #63, Reid... 17:37  |  Silvienne 02/05/08
  71.   Exploding backpacks!! Oh, really.... 17:39  |  Silvienne 02/05/08
  72.   #60 Curious - Don`t confuse Silly Vain with facts 02:53  |  * BEN JABO 03/05/08