Eight Palestinian children killed in their beds during an
Israeli attack on Gaza. The Israelis are investigating the incident.
This beautiful little girl is crying for her brother.
Israeli artillery shells killed 18 Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun on Wednesday, local officials and witnesses said, in the deadliest single Israeli attack on Palestinians in four years.
[Reuters 8NOV2006]
Eight of those civilians were children asleep in their beds.
S. Africa's Tutu condemns Israeli attack in Gaza
South African Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu on Thursday added his voice to worldwide condemnation on an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip which killed at least 18 Palestinian civilians, urging both sides to "stop the violence."
"We cannot, we dare not keep quiet in the face of the latest atrocity in Gaza City when about 20 civilians including about seven children were killed whilst sleeping by Israeli artillery," said Tutu, former South African Anglican archbishop.
"It is an outrage that cries out to heaven and we must condemn it unequivocally as we do to the atrocities committed by suicide bombers against Israeli civilians," he said in a statement.
Israeli tanks attacked a residential neighborhood in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza early Wednesday, killing at least 18 people, including eight children.
Eight of those civilians were children asleep in their beds.
Arabs denounce Israeli attack in Gaza as Hamas leader vows revenge in deeds, not words
The attack was condemned by the Palestinian Authority's leaders -- President Abbas and Prime Minister Haniyeh -- who declared three days of national mourning.
It was also protested in Brussels, where the European Union termed it "a profoundly shocking event," and Moscow, where the Russian Foreign Ministry said Israel's actions "go beyond the declared goal of avoiding the shelling of Israeli territories from Gaza Strip."
In Arab countries, governments and groups responded with statements of condemnation. The most significant public reaction took place in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud issued a statement saying, "the words of condemnation are unable to confront the pain."
Egypt's foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit called the shelling "immoral and inhuman."
In separate statements, Kuwait's parliament and a Syrian Foreign Ministry official called the incident a case of "organized terrorism."
Eight of those civilians were children asleep in their beds.
The World has condemned this attack and the UN will hold a special session on the killing of civilians. Some of the condemnations include a call for the Palestinians to halt their rocket attacks against Israel, but even Israel's ally Turkey is expressing outrage over this.
Have we heard from John "Nowhere Man" Bolton on this? Has Condaleeza Rice made a statement on it?
UPDATE, BBC
Gaza hit was 'technical failure'
He [Israeli PM Ehud Olmert] said troops had targeted an orange grove from which rockets had been fired on Wednesday, but instead hit homes in the northern town of Beit Hanoun.
Palestinian officials described the killings as a massacre.
UPDATE: November 11, 2006
The Israeli PM has publicly acknowledged this attack was a gross error so I don't see the point of defending Israel in this instance.
US blocks UN resolution condemning Israel
Thank you Mr. John 'Nowhere Man' Bolton.