Israel has escalated
its campaign of violence and terror against Palestinian civilians over the last
week. Two recent targeted attacks resulted in the death of 18 Palestinians and
the injury of 62.
The first
attack, which wiped out most of a family enjoying a picnic on the beach in Gaza, took place on
Friday, June 9.An Israeli naval boat,
stationed off the coast of Beit Lahya in the
Gaza Strip, is reported to have fired seven successive artillery shells at
civilians on the beach. According to
eyewitness accounts, once the shells started to fall the family immediately
began to evacuate the portion of the beach under attack, which was where they
were picnicking.However, the shells
followed their progress, killing seven of the family, including the mother,
father and five young children.
At first, an
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson claimed the deaths were caused by
rockets being fired by Palestinian militants.However, a forensic analysis of the beach area
found conclusively that it was shelling from the sea, not rockets from Gaza, that killed the
family.At that point, Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert expressed regret for the family’s death.He also denied allegations fuelled by the
eyewitness reports of the targetted nature of the shelling
that the IDF is deliberately targetting civilians in Gaza. He claimed that the
Israeli army is “the most moral army on earth”.
On June 13,
“the most moral army on earth” was once again, according to eyewitness reports,
deliberately attacking civilians. This time, the attack occurred as part of an
extra-judicial execution of two members of the al-Quds Brigade, the military
wing of Islamic Jihad.IDF aircraft
launched a missile at a car travelling near a
hospital in a residential area in northeastern Gaza.Civilian bystanders, who saw the car hit and could
hear the cries of at least one of the occupants, rushed forward in a rescue
effort.As they swarmed towards the car,
the IDF aircraft dropped another missile, killing nine people including a
seven-year-old boy.
Both these attacks
follow the recent announcement by Israeli Defence Minister (and head of the
Labour Party) Amir Peretz, who has said his aim is to step up extra-judicial
assassinations to try and end rocket attacks on northern Israel from Gaza.