Palestinians may have caused Gaza beach deaths, Olmert says:
Both Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz indicated Sunday that Friday’s blast on a Gaza Strip beach that killed seven civilians may have been caused by the Palestinians, and not by the IDF.
Peretz told the weekly cabinet meeting that he had established an investigative committee headed by a major-general, which is to present its findings on Tuesday.
Peretz said the panel’s preliminary findings showed that the Ghalia family was not killed by a shell fired by the IDF ground forces or the IAF. Peretz said that one of six artillery shells fired by the IDF was unaccounted for, but that there was a gap between when the shells were fired and the time the Palestinians said the shells landed.
Peretz told the ministers that some 40 Kassam rockets were fired at Sderot and nearby communities over the weekend, and that Nati Angel – the Sderot man seriously wounded by a Kassam Sunday morning at a school near the city – was a “personal friend.” Peretz lives in Sderot, where he used to be mayor.
If this does turn out to be the cause, or even a distinctly possible cause, of this tragic incident, I expect the BBC, particularly given their intensive coverage of the original story, will be extremely keen to revisit the story in depth, in order to ensure that the truth is fully investigated and reported in an impartial manner, lest another serious falsehood is perpetrated and established. But I won’t be holding my breath while waiting for Haw-Hawley and co. to leap in to action.
Update: According to Funerals for Gaza beach victims:
The BBC’s Simon Wilson in Jerusalem says that Saturday’s rocket attacks appear mainly symbolic.
Try telling that to Nati Angel (see above). I can think of some a***s that could do with a symbolic rocket or two up them…
But a spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam brigade, said next time the rockets would be longer range and hit deeper inside Israel.
Presumably for even greater ‘symbolism’, eh Mr. Wilson.
Hat tip: commenters dumbcisco re. JP link and Big Mouth re. Wilson quote.
Biodegradable,
You’d think that the extensive coverage given to Princess Di’s ‘anti landmine’ campaign by the Beeb a few years back would have informed them that ‘Bouncing Betty mines’ or variants of them, explode above the ground. Guess she wasted her time? This type of mine would explain the lack of crater in the original footage, the type of wounds suffered by the victims, mostly shrapnel, & the distinct lack of real damage to beach furniture. The supposed crater shown on the second bulletin was a put up job for sure.
Al Beeb are going to get away with this though aren’t they. We need an MP to drag this issue up in the Commons. To be fair, all MSM are saying it was Israel’s fault. Eurabia here we come!!
Annan: Results of IDF probe into Gaza beach deaths are ‘strange’
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has expressed doubt over an Israel Defense Forces probe determining that the blast on a Gaza Strip beach last Friday that killed seven civilians was caused by a mine or explosive device placed by Palestinians to prevent the IDF troops from reaching the area.
In an interview published in Al-Hayat, Annan regarded the IDF’s version of the events as “strange.”
Annan doubts IDF Gaza shelling findings
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan doubts the findings of an IDF inquiry into the Gaza beach shelling.
“The Israeli claim that the beach blast was caused by an explosive charge at the site sounds strange to me. I don’t believe it is plausible that the Palestinians planted charges in a place where civilians often spend their time,” Annan told the London-based Al-Hayat daily.
Annan said he would send a representative on his behalf to the region to investigate the Palestinian claims that an IDF shell killed the Ghalia family on the Gaza beach.
Annan called on Israel to “respect international law and human life”, urging the IDF to operate at a distance from civilians. The secretary general also condemned the firing of Kassam rockets at Israel.
Palestinian legislator Saeb Erekat, a close aide to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, called for an international inquiry. He complained that Israel was trying to blame the Palestinians and warned, “this means that this crime could re-occur.”
That sounds like a promise to me.
Rachel, I know very well who Saeb Erekat is. As a reliable source of veiled threats of more violence to come I have no reason to doubt him though.
for your information,
although often quoted by the MSM, including the BBC, Saeb Erekat is the LIAR from the Jenin “massacre”.
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_article=217&x_context=7
Is he a reliable source?
Saeb Erekat is chief Palestinian whiner. When he’s not complainng bitterly about imagined Israeli wrongs, he’s crying out to the international community for help against big, bad Israel.
Yes, I remember him being behind the Jenin “genocide” claims.
Bryan,
Actually,I would dispute your giving the ‘chief whiner’ trophy to Erekat. For me the pin-up has always been Hanan Ashrawi!
Anyway, remember France 2 and Muhammad al-Dura? Has al-beeb been practising bad journalism? Let’s all go down that road.
I dunno. Erekat only has a few standard lines in whinge mode. Ashrawi is a more accomplished propagandist. But I don’t want to discriminate. I loath them both equally.
German paper doubts Gaza beach reports
German newspaper casts doubt on Palestinian claims that IDF shell killed seven family members on Gaza beach. How come Hadil Ghalia was seen wearing dry clothes after the Gaza beach attack when she was reported to have been swimming?
While three major British newspapers published reports contradicting Israel’s claims that its military was not responsible for the murder of seven members of the Ghalia family on a Gaza beach over a week ago, a German newspaper casts doubt on the authenticity of pictures taken soon after the bloody incident.
German daily Sued Deutsche, said pictures taken by Zakaria Abu Irbad, 36, a cameramen with the Palestinian independent news agency Ramattan, contradict Palestinian claims that an IDF shell killed the Ghalia family and point to the possibility that the event was staged to hold Israel responsible.
Read on:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3264158,00.html
Articles 22 and 23 are real charmers too!
http://www.pna.gov.ps/Government/gov/plo_Charter.asp
Oops, wrong thread! .-/