As the aftermath in Gaza after last weekend’s brief conflict with Israel continues, another dispute has erupted about which side was accountable for the casualties after Israel claimed that misfired missiles from the Palestinian side killed 15 people in the enclave.
According to Israeli military officials, one-fifth of the more than 1,000 rockets fired at Israel failed, many of which landed in Gaza, killing a third of the 44 people who died there during the 56-hour conflict in which Israeli planes bombarded the tiny coastal strip.
The Israeli military released videos and radar photos which showed an Islamic Jihad rocket swerving off course shortly after launch on Saturday, landing on the ground and killing five people, four of whom were children.
Both Hamas, which governs Gaza, and Islamic Jihad, the Iranian-backed militant organisation that Israel targeted with air strikes. Rejected Israeli claims and blamed Israel for all deaths in Gaza. However, an Islamic Jihad representative stated that a probe was underway.
Daoud Shehab, a spokesman said, “Israel began the military round and therefore it bears responsibility for all the results of that military round. We are investigating all the reports and all the cases that are being cited by media outlets.”
He also added in his statement, “These are wrong and false allegations Israel is making to escape its responsibility for the killing of civilians and children.”
For a brief period of time. Hamas issued an order instructing freelance journalists not to cover reports that Palestinian missiles were responsible for fatalities. That directive was quickly revoked.
Damaged vehicles and houses in the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza left no question about the intensity of the bombs that hit the region for the first time on Saturday, when many residents were outside, enjoying the chill of the evening as a power outage turned off lights and air conditioners.
Farid Al-Khatib, whose son was wounded in the blast said, “Suddenly there was an explosion in the middle of the children and women in the street.” “Their disregard for human life was tragic – as multiple failed rocket launches led to the deaths of innocent Palestinian children in Gaza,” Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said.
