Israel Matzav

Video: Four terrorists incinerated, woman and four children killed by terrorist weapons, not by IDF

On Monday, a woman and her four children were killed at the same time as an IAF strike on four terrorists in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, from which rockets are often launched at Sderot. On Friday, the IDF announced that its investigation had concluded that the woman and her children were killed by a secondary explosion from weapons carried by the terrorists and not by IDF fire. Here's the video taken by an IDF drone from which they reached that conclusion followed by the IDF spokesman's statement relating to the incident.

Let's go to the videotape.



And here's the spokesman's statement:

A blast in northern Gaza that killed a Palestinian mother and her four children on Monday was not caused by the Israeli Air Force, a probe into the explosion conducted by the IDF Southern Command concluded on Friday.

Col. Shai Alkilai from the Southern Command conducted the probe over the last few days under orders from OC Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant and IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Elazar Shkedi.

The blast under investigation occurred Monday morning in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun, when according to Palestinians, an IDF tank shell hit the home of the Abu Meatak family, as the mother Miyasar was preparing breakfast for her children. She was killed together with the four children.

According to the findings of the probe four terrorists were spotted carrying weaponry and explosives on their backs. The IAF fire was on target and only hit the armed terrorists. As a result there occurred secondary explosions which destroyed the home and killed the mother and her children.

The IDF probe ruled out the possibility that the family was hit by IDF fire. The IDF probe also revealed that the secondary explosion was far greater than the type of explosion caused by the initial IDF bombing and the munitions it had used.

The IDF said that it was unfortunate that innocent people were killed in the incident, but stressed that the blame lay with Hamas which operated from populated areas, using civilians as human shields.

UPDATE 11:59 PM

Caroline Glick reports in Friday's column that one of the terrorists who was killed on Monday was Miyasar Meatak's husband. I was wondering why we didn't see any news reports with a screaming, distraught husband. Heh.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:19 PM