- The Israeli army admitted last night for the first time
that at least of the seven of the people killed in last Wednesday's demonstration
here were unarmed civilians.
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- Brigadier-General Shmuel Zakai, commander of the Rafah
"Operation Rainbow", said in Tel Aviv that one of those killed
in the protest had been identified as a "terrorist" although
military sources said later that they could not say whether he was armed
at the time.
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- The running dispute between the army and human rights
groups, who have been pressing for an independent inquiry into the deaths
of the demonstrators, is complicated by the fact that the army say eight
people were killed.
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- Officials at Rafah's main hospital have said 10 people
were killed in a protest outside the Tel Sultan neighbourhood where an
army siege was lifted yesterday.
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- But the new admission contradicts early claims by government
sources that as many as five of those killed were armed militants. It came
as General Zakai also said the whole operation had claimed the lives of
41 militants and 12 civilians. Palestinian human rights groups, who put
the total at more than 60 over the past fortnight, claim that the proportion
of civilians is significantly higher.
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- General Zakai's briefing came after the Israelis lifted
their siege on the Tel Sultan neighbourhood, and thousands joined the funeral
procession for 16 Palestinians killed during the seven-day incursion there.
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- General Zakai also said that 56 homes had been destroyed
or damaged during the operation. The figure was an increase on previous
military estimates of damage but still falls short of a figure of 67 over
the past eight days estimated by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem.
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- The general indicated that in some cases forces had to
bulldoze their way through houses to avoid the risk of explosive devices
on the roads.
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- Although the army says its operation in Rafah has been
scaled down, General Zakai gave no indication that it was over. Forces
were said to be still searching in the Kishta neighbourhood for tunnels.
The army said it had found three during the operation.
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- While pledging an inquiry into the fatal shooting of
a teenage brother and sister, military sources claim that two other teenagers
had been shot dead by Palestinian militants as they tried to leave a building
surrounded by the army.
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- On the demonstration, the general said that the tank
commander, who he continued to insist had fired at the wall of a deserted
building and not at the protesters, appeared not to have seen the demonstration.
Military sources said last night that armed Palestinians had moved in and
out of the demonstration.
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- * Two television channels in Israel reported last night
that the Attorney General Menachem Mazuz had decided to lift the threat
of prosecution hanging over Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister, because of
his part in the "Greek island" property scandal. The Justice
Ministry, however, said that no decision had yet been taken.
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- © 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=524676
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