Seven children die in crossfire as Israelis target suspected militants [View All]

Conal Urquhart in Jerusalem
Wednesday January 5, 2005
The Guardian

Mahmoud Abbas, who is expected to win Sunday's election for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority, condemned "the Zionist enemy" yesterday after seven children on their way to pick strawberries were mistaken for Palestinian militants and killed by Israeli tank shells.

The tanks used anti-personnel shells, which throw out thousands of metal darts in a deadly cloud. Children aged 10, 12, 13 and 14 and three 17-year-olds were killed. A further 11 people were injured, four critically.

The attack took place near Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza, from where militants had been firing mortars at Israeli positions on the Gaza border, injuring one person.

(snip)

Witnesses confirmed that militants had been firing mortars in the fields where the farmers were heading but they had dispersed by the time the tank shells were fired.

more...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1383284,00.html