Saturday
Jun172006
Gaza beach massacre investigated
Hossam el-Hamalawy
The Guardian published a long investigative report today on the Gaza beach massacre, disputing the Israeli army's allegations it was not to blame.
Reader Comments (1)
[...] Jumping back in to the blogging game from Gaza… Rumors have it Palestinian factions will announce agreement tonight, but for now with regards to the beach deaths, Hossam mentioned Saturday’s Guardian report. In fact all three British tabloids, Guardian, Telegraph and her majesty’s Times took the Israeli army’s account to task on Friday and Saturday, but it was the Times that had the more damning account, including an internal UN radio call contradicting the crucial Israeli timeline of events: Israel says that its land artillery batteries fired six shells at northern Gaza between 4.30pm and 4.48pm that afternoon, and that it can account for all but one, which was fired at 4.30pm. However, its investigation said that that shell was aimed too far away to have killed the Palestinians.The investigation relies heavily on timing. It cites surveillance footage of the beach showing that it was quiet between 4.54 and 4.57pm, and film of ambulances apparently arriving at the scene at 5.15. It says that the incident must therefore have happened between 4.57 and 5.10pm — at least nine minutes after it says it stopped firing land artillery. [...]