Israel\'s defense establishment questions the veracity of Palestinian reports regarding the death of two Arab children in an IDF operation Tuesday night which killed 6 Hamas terrorists in Shechem. Senior IDF and GSS officials note that the names of the children who were reportedly killed do not appear anywhere in Israel\'s Palestinian Population Registry. Moreover, no formal report of the details of their death has been submitted. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz said yesterday that had the IDF known that the boys were in the vicinity, the strike would not have been carried out. Former IDF Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan criticized Mofaz for his remarks. Eitan said that government apologies for its actions in this war are \"stupid.\"



Regarding the possibility that two children were killed in the Shechem strike, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said today, \"There is no war without civilian casualties.\" Immediately following the IDF operation, the Prime Minister\'s Office said that the report of two civilian deaths \"is under investigation,\" and expressed regret for \"any injury and loss of life of innocent civilians.\"