[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA 31 August 2007

IMRA contacted the IDF Spokesperson's Office about Amos Harel's report and
the following is the response of the IDF Spokesman's Office:

"The results of our initial investigation are as follows:

1. At the time the order was taken to fire it was impossible to distinguish
whether they were children or adults.

2. The people in question were in the area adjacent to the Qassam launchers
and were touching the Qassam launchers.

The result of the investigation is that these were children and we that were
able to determine this only at the very last second just before the
explosion at which point it was too late to stop it.

They were children who were playing and the way that they were playing they
were touching the launchers and it was impossible to determine whether it
was someone who was actually at the time attempting to use them or dismantle
them. As it turns out it was kids who were playing with them.

Obviously we sorrow at the death of any children but it is the
responsibility of the Hamas who places their launchers within civilian areas
and the IDF is continually broadcasting the message to the local
population - and in particular to parents - not to let their children play
next to launchers."

------------------

IDF: Three children killed in Gaza Tuesday were just playing tag
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent Last update - 07:36 31/08/2007
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/899414.html

The three Palestinian children killed in Gaza on Tuesday were only playing
near rocket launchers targeted by Israeli troops, and were not connected
with the terrorists, an army probe determined Thursday.

Ten-year-old Mahmoud Ghazal and his 12-year-old cousin, Yehiya Ghazal, died
immediately. Their 10-year-old cousin Sara Ghazal was critically injured and
died later.

The Israel Defense Forces said the children were killed after an army ground
unit fired on Qassam launchers in the area. The launchers, which were
pointed at Israel, were deployed in fields just outside Beit Hanun, near the
Ghazal family's home. According to the IDF, troops detected "unidentified
movement and opened fire."

In the initial IDF statement after the incident on Tuesday, the army said it
"wishes to express sorrow" for the "use of children in terror attacks,"
implying that the children had been sent by terrorists to collect the rocket
launchers. The military has frequently accused terrorist organizations of
using teenagers and children in this fashion.

But the probe, which was launched immediately after the incident, determined
that the children were playing tag near the launchers, as revealed by army
footage recording the incident. The video reportedly shows the children -
who appear as figures whose age cannot be determined - approaching the
launchers and then moving back, in a way that could be seen as suggesting
that they were loading the launchers with rockets.

The terrain did not allow for direct observation of the area, so the army
had to rely on aerial photography. The unit that launched the missile at the
children used this visual feed to direct their fire, army sources told
Haaretz.

The video does show one of the figures to be a child, army sources said, but
this happened so close to the moment of impact that the troops were unable
to abort in time.

IDF troops near the Gaza Strip are under orders to fire at rocket launchers
only when terrorists approach them. The launchers themselves are easily
replaceable and are of little value to the terrorist organizations, so the
IDF prefers to target the terrorists who are directing the firing.