Israeli terrorist army admits Gaza girl killed by soldiers' fire

Friday July 03, 2009 05:22 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli army admitted that the 17-year-old girl who was killed in the Gaza Strip on Thursday died of Israeli military fire, and that eleven other Palestinians were injured in the incident.

The army first said that the girl was killed by Palestinian fire, but an investigation into the incident revealed that she was killed by Israeli fire. 

Military sources claimed that Israeli soldiers came under fire while patrolling near the Gaza border fence, and that they responded by firing mortars at the Palestinian side. 

But the mortars hit Palestinian civilians, killing the girl and wounding at least eleven Palestinian civilians. The army said that it is likely that the civilians were at close proximity to the fighters.

Another possibility, the army added, is that the soldiers made a mistake while directing their mortar fire.

A senior Israeli army official said that the investigation is still ongoing, and that the result of the ongoing investigation showed that the Palestinian civilians were actually hit by army fire.

Furthermore, the army said that during the Cast Lead Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip earlier this year, several Israeli soldiers were wounded due to what was described as a tactical error in activating the mortar system, the same system that killed the Palestinian girl and wounded 11.

 The army said that during the Thursday incidents, soldiers uncovered two explosive devices at the site of the clash, near the borders fence. 

 So far, neither Hamas’ armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, nor any other armed group claimed responsibility for firing at the Israeli army.

Israeli terrorist army shell kills a 17-year old young woman, wounds her brother in Gaza

Friday July 03, 2009 00:22 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian Medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported Thursday that a 17-year-old girl was killed, and her 24-year-old brother was injured when the army fired an artillery shell at an area close to Juhr Al-Deek in Central Gaza.

The slain young woman was identified as Hiyam Abu Ayish, 17, and her brother was identified as Husam, 24.

The sources added that the shell directly hit the house of Abu Ayish.

The Israeli army claimed that Palestinian fighters fired several homemade shells, and that it is most likely that a Palestinian shell struck the house of Abu Ayish.

Meanwhile, Israeli online daily, Haaretz, said that according to Dr. Muawiya Hassanain, an official at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 3-yeard-old child, and three other relatives of Abu Ayish were also wounded.

Hamas sources reported that the slain girl is actually a 3-year-old child.

Palestinian officials in Gaza denied the claims of the Israeli military and said that the fighters targeted the army with RPG shells, but the house which was struck by a shell leading to the civilian casualties, was completely destroyed, and an RPG shells cannot cause this kind of destruction.