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BBC News - Israeli army admits three killed Gazans were civilians
OK
So what exactly was this civilian doing? The soldier identified him picking up an RPG. Seems quite improbable since the General just said none of those killed were involved in any terrorist operation.
Another part that got my attention:
That's just plain sad.
The Israeli army has admitted that three Palestinian men it killed in Gaza on Sunday were civilians, and not terrorists, as previously claimed.
Brig Gen Ayal Eisenberg said one of the men had picked up a grenade launcher abandoned in a field, and Israeli troops mistakenly opened fire, thinking they were about to come under attack.
Among those killed were a 91-year-old farm worker and his grandson, aged 17.
OK
At the time, Israeli army radio described the men as "terrorists", but Gen Ayal Eisenberg now says the soldiers made a mistake.
"The civilians killed by our soldiers' fire... were not involved in any terrorist operation," he told army radio.
"Our soldiers identified a civilian who was picking up an RPG [rocket propelled grenade] and, thinking he was going to fire at them, opened fire" in his direction, he added.
So what exactly was this civilian doing? The soldier identified him picking up an RPG. Seems quite improbable since the General just said none of those killed were involved in any terrorist operation.
Another part that got my attention:
Separately, a report published by an Israeli human rights group found that Israeli soldiers who kill Palestinians were rarely punished.
The B'Tselem report released on Tuesday said that the military investigated only 22 of 148 cases submitted by the group.
No criminal charges were brought in any of the cases, which involved the killing of 288 Palestinian civilians between 2006 and 2009, it said.
That's just plain sad.