Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz both said they have full confidence in the army's findings. The shrapnel removed from a wounded girl who was treated in an Israeli hospital shows without a doubt, the IDF says, that the explosion was not caused by an Israeli shell.
In addition, the IDF found that the beach showed no signs of a crater that would have been formed by a mortar shell. Furthermore, the beach showed no signs of unusual activity for at least seven minutes after the IDF stopped firing in the area.
Significantly, Israeli intelligence shows that Hamas had placed explosives and mines on the beach against Israeli naval commandos who might try to ambush terrorists using the beach to fire Kassam rockets. It was likely a Hamas-placed bomb of this type that killed the Arab family, the IDF concluded.
Amidst calls for an international investigation of the incident, Israel says it will agree to such a review "five minutes after the Kassam rocket firings by the terrorists in Gaza are investigated."
Six more Palestinian-fired Kassams rocketed Sderot and environs over the weekend.
The IDF spokesman said that the London Times "chose to quote partial information, yet presented it as a full investigation... We regret that such an important and sincere newspaper chose to publicize a distorted and incorrect headline, instead of sticking with the fact as presented to it in a telephone interview with the head of the investigative team, Gen. Meir Kalifi, in addition to the information presented at a press conference."
MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) called on the government to ask for an international investigation of the incident, saying Israel has "moral responsibility." MK Gilad Erdan (Likud) charged Gal-On with stabbing the military establishment in the back and "taking the side of enemies of the state. It is interesting that she never has demanded an investigation into the Kassam rocket attacks on Sderot and Ashkelon."
An IDF force arrested a wanted Islamic Jihad terrorist northwest of Jenin this morning. A Kalachnikov rifle was found in his house. The army force was fired upon, but no one was hurt.
In addition, the IDF found that the beach showed no signs of a crater that would have been formed by a mortar shell. Furthermore, the beach showed no signs of unusual activity for at least seven minutes after the IDF stopped firing in the area.
Significantly, Israeli intelligence shows that Hamas had placed explosives and mines on the beach against Israeli naval commandos who might try to ambush terrorists using the beach to fire Kassam rockets. It was likely a Hamas-placed bomb of this type that killed the Arab family, the IDF concluded.
Amidst calls for an international investigation of the incident, Israel says it will agree to such a review "five minutes after the Kassam rocket firings by the terrorists in Gaza are investigated."
Six more Palestinian-fired Kassams rocketed Sderot and environs over the weekend.
The IDF spokesman said that the London Times "chose to quote partial information, yet presented it as a full investigation... We regret that such an important and sincere newspaper chose to publicize a distorted and incorrect headline, instead of sticking with the fact as presented to it in a telephone interview with the head of the investigative team, Gen. Meir Kalifi, in addition to the information presented at a press conference."
MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) called on the government to ask for an international investigation of the incident, saying Israel has "moral responsibility." MK Gilad Erdan (Likud) charged Gal-On with stabbing the military establishment in the back and "taking the side of enemies of the state. It is interesting that she never has demanded an investigation into the Kassam rocket attacks on Sderot and Ashkelon."
An IDF force arrested a wanted Islamic Jihad terrorist northwest of Jenin this morning. A Kalachnikov rifle was found in his house. The army force was fired upon, but no one was hurt.