Israel orders probe into Gaza air raid deaths
AFP
Date: 05-21-06
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz has ordered an investigation into an air strike on the Gaza Strip which killed three civilians as well as its target from the extremist Islamic Jihad movement.
Two women and a four-year-old boy were killed on Saturday while travelling in a car behind Mohammed Dahduh, a local commander of Islamic Jihad's military wing, who died when two missiles struck his vehicle.
The defence ministry and the military have both acknowledged that the three were innocent victims of the attack in Gaza City.
"The minister has ordered an inquiry in order to determine the circumstances behind the death of the civilians in this incident," a defence ministry spokeswoman told AFP Sunday.
Air force chief Eliezer Shkedi said that "superhuman efforts" were made to avoid civilian casualties.
However he said the air strike had been justified as Dahduh was responsibile not only for firing rockets at Israel from Gaza but was also behind attempts to extend the range of the missiles.
"We acted only after waiting a long time for the right occasion," he told a press conference.
Islamic Jihad, which has been responsible for all of the most recent suicide bombings against Israeli targets, claimed responsibility Sunday for four new rocket attacks which it said were in retaliation for the air strike.
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