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Relatives of the three Palestinian children killed Tuesday in the Gaza Strip reacting before their funeral on Wednesday. (AP)
Last update - 13:06 31/08/2007
IDF: Three children killed in Gaza Tuesday were just playing tag
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Beit Hanun 

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."
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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
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  1.   This is what happens when terrorists operate amongst civilians 04:43  |  Gili 31/08/07
  2.   Children 05:27  |  Lisen 31/08/07
  3.   Hamas is to blame for what Happen 05:37  |  Hausman 31/08/07
  4.   A genuine mistake 05:47  |  Omran 31/08/07
  5.   Playing Tag 05:59  |  Silvienne 31/08/07
  6.   Where were the Palastinian adults? 06:44  |  Matt 31/08/07
  7.   That`ll learn`em real good! 07:00  |  Akiva Patysh 31/08/07
  8.   Silvienne, go play in traffic! 07:03  |  akiva P 31/08/07
  9.   A Surprising Admission But No Accountability 07:03  |  chet 31/08/07
  10.   The "Crazy Israeli" syndrome 07:04  |  Natallie Durson 31/08/07
  11.   re: Silvienne 07:18  |  SDHD 31/08/07
  12.   kids will be kids 07:21  |  rose 31/08/07
  13.   Kids don`t know what a launcher is. 07:27  |  Omran 31/08/07
  14.   What makes Israels supporters unique 07:30  |  Natallie Durson 31/08/07
  15.   Does this mean they were playing tag with the launchers? 07:37  |  Efox 31/08/07
  16.   Tag around rocket launchers 07:42  |  Ron 31/08/07
  17.   # 1-6 Idiots !!!!!!! Brutal killing of children. 07:52  |  Wally 31/08/07
  18.   #6 where should the Palestinian children play? 07:58  |  Yasir 31/08/07
  19.   palestinian parents 07:59  |  johnj 31/08/07
  20.   This is what happens when terrorists operate amongst civilians 08:19  |  Dr David I. Gross 31/08/07
  21.   Silvienne - so do I BUT 08:25  |  Dr David I. Gross 31/08/07
  22.   Hamas should file charges like Hezbollah 08:26  |  Tosefta 31/08/07
  23.   chet wonders, wonders, wonders 08:26  |  peter 31/08/07
  24.   Omran - The same ones who 08:28  |  Dr David I. Gross 31/08/07
  25.   Chet, let`s chit chat about where Israeli kids play 08:29  |  Dan 31/08/07
  26.   Natallie Durson 08:33  |  Dr David I. Gross 31/08/07
  27.   Three Palestinian children killed by Hamas 08:35  |  Dan 31/08/07
  28.   Natallie Durson 08:39  |  Dr David I. Gross 31/08/07
  29.   Well that`s clever! 08:40  |  Allon 31/08/07
  30.   rose 08:41  |  Dr David I. Gross 31/08/07
  31.   For Natallie #14 08:46  |  Esther 31/08/07
  32.   Israelis Kill Palestinians Daily, Yet Pals Asked to "Recognize".. 08:59  |  Angry Palestinian 31/08/07
  33.   bad parents 09:03  |  Australit 31/08/07
  34.   IT MEANS A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE WEST 09:35  |  indrajaya 31/08/07
  35.   Evacuate civilians from the war zone!!! 09:37  |  Shlomo from Tel Aviv 31/08/07
  36.   What if the parents sent them to play there to become Sahids ? 09:42  |  31/08/07
  37.   Natalie Durson - Most Insightful Postings 09:45  |  chet 31/08/07
  38.   It`s that damn self-hating IDF again! 09:46  |  Khalid 31/08/07
  39.   Who gives a damn 09:47  |  Fed up with them 31/08/07
  40.   #1 I guess you can rationalize anything, Gili 09:50  |  Johnboy 31/08/07
  41.   Natallie - a compliment from Esther, I think # 31 09:52  |  Clickfool 31/08/07
  42.   FYI 09:52  |  M Swaid 31/08/07
  43.   G-d rest their souls, but they were pretty dumb 10:00  |  Conroy 31/08/07
  44.   troops detected "unidentified movement and opened fire." 10:03  |  israel DESTRUCTIVE 31/08/07
  45.   terrorist 10:04  |  Jack 31/08/07
  46.   THAT`S WHAT I SAID YESTERDAY 10:05  |  indrajaya 31/08/07
  47.   What game were the Hamas sacrificers playing? 10:06  |  PETER SM 31/08/07
  48.   And the Lord turned his face away from Israel 10:07  |  Clickfool 31/08/07
  49.   hThis time Qassam killed Palestinian instead of Israeli kids 10:07  |  Conroy 31/08/07
  50.   Within the next 24 Hours the IDF pilot should be sent to the Hagu 10:08  |  Yossi Cronenberg 31/08/07
  51.   1,10,100, IT`S ONLY NUMBERS FOR ISRAEL 10:10  |  indrajaya 31/08/07
  52.   1,3, 10,100, IT`S ONLY NUMBERS FOR ISRAEL 10:11  |  indrajaya 31/08/07
  53.   Standard Zionist ploy from David Gross # 26 10:21  |  Clickfool 31/08/07
  54.   #14 Natalie Durson 10:22  |  Conroy 31/08/07
  55.   Enjoy your brutality, which realy suits you. Part I 10:24  |  Fatih 31/08/07
  56.   Enjoy your brutality, which really suits you. Part II 10:26  |  Fatih 31/08/07
  57.   Natalie beating around the bush 10:27  |  WWACD 31/08/07
  58.   And still they wonder why Palestinians don`t like them... 10:27  |  John 31/08/07
  59.   Contrition 10:28  |  Chris 31/08/07
  60.   # 39, FED UP WITH THEM 10:37  |  indrajaya 31/08/07
  61.   to Angry Palestinian 10:37  |  Martin 31/08/07
  62.   Israel Uses Deliberate Child Killing As Deterrant 10:39  |  Hani 31/08/07
  63.   Tag, outlawed in many American schools 10:39  |  FOX 31/08/07
  64.   Miss Congeniality Award 10:43  |  Anthony 31/08/07
  65.   To Natalie - actually there are another group 10:47  |  WWACD 31/08/07
  66.   If the parents tell their children ... 10:48  |  Even Steven 31/08/07
  67.   #39 - Indrajaya. You are wrong: It`s not just numbers to us. 10:49  |  WWACD 31/08/07
  68.   Re Click #41 10:51  |  Esther 31/08/07
  69.   Playground 10:52  |  Even Steven 31/08/07
  70.   M Swaid 10:52  |  Anthony 31/08/07
  71.   M Swaid, are you aware that your prayers arent answered 10:54  |  Johnny 31/08/07
  72.   The Egyptian Pharoah`s heart of stone 10: