[RCW2001]

Fifth Palestinian child killed in Gaza blast: education ministry

The Palestinian education ministry said five Palestinian schoolchildren were killed in a blast in the central Gaza Strip, updating an earlier toll of four dead.

"Five pupils were killed today by an unexploded Israeli tank shell," the ministry said in a statement Thursday, while denouncing the deaths as a "crime of assassination."

The boy was identified as Mohammed al-Astal, aged 12.

Four other children from the same extended family -- including another boy named Mohammed al-Astal, aged 14 -- were killed when one of them apparently kicked an unexploded Israeli tank shell in scrub land close to the Jewish settlement of Nezer Hazani.

The deaths brought to 982 the number of people killed since the start of the intifada, or Palestinian uprising, against Israeli occupation in September 2000, including 771 Palestinians and 189 Israelis.

[TheOtherOne]

"Five pupils were killed today by an unexploded Israeli tank shell,"

Well frist they said the tank shelled the school. Then that was not true, so now it is an unexploded Israeli shell. It must be the crack PNA forensics team that made that conclusion.

The shell may or may not have been Israeli. I wish there was a source of facts from that region.

[Stirner]

Assume the account is true. I suppose that Arab children are constantly told how dangerous Israelis are and likely have plenty of exposure to weaponry. Why, then, would they kick at an unexploded artillery shell? Darwin award candidates.

[AppyPappy]

They must have been watching Bugs Bunny cartoons.

[Godfollow]

How do we know that they were not strapped with explosives, making their way over to the Jewish settlement, to do what they do? Have we not seen the youngest of their young in photographs with explosives strapped around their bellies?

They cry foul when someone else is responsible for the deaths of their people, but when they do it to themselves in order to harm others, they cheer like its a sporting event.

How can they expect us to pity them?

[Wright is right!]

In another thread, there's a posting from the LA Times about this incident. In the LA Times report, Israelis shelled a Palestinian school, and they cite this AP story as their source. It doth not appear that the LA Times has the story right.

Michael

[dread78645]

This account has been banned or suspended.

Okay

Bummer.