WHO’S REALLY KILLING THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE?

It is becoming increasingly clear that the recent deliberate shooting deaths of the three children of a Palestinian Fatah official were something more than just a culmination of a series of deadly tit-for-tat factional incidents between Hamas and Fatah in the complex world of Palestinian politics.[1]

The circumstantial evidence is pointing to ‘agent provocateurs’ as having been more likely responsible for these totally senseless killings. Since the targets were the children of a Fatah officer, the knee-jerk reaction was to blame Fatah’s rivals, Hamas. Naturally, Hamas denied it. However, Hamas have not just left it as a simple denial; they have emphatically denied and have also firmly condemned the killings.[2] Giving weight to Hamas’ denials is the fact that, while there is indeed some factional violence between Hamas and Fatah, neither side have ever been known to resort to deliberately killing the children of each others operatives.

And deliberate the killings were since it was well known that the children were always driven to school in a different car from the one their father used plus the fact that the killings took place at the school. The reality is that the killers had made no mistake about their intended targets.[3]

Clearly the killings were specifically designed to provoke already inflamed tensions between Hamas and Fatah and the only beneficiaries of this outcome would have been Israel as they continue in their classic ‘divide and rule’ campaign among the Palestinians. While the Palestinian factions argue among themselves as to who was responsible for the killings, the real culprits would by now be in a safe haven inside Israel.

Mossad, the Israeli intelligence organisation, have a long history of running false flag operations and this particular type of operation is not without precedent.[4] Israeli forces also have a long history of deliberately targeting children generally in the occupied territories including the killing of children by Israeli snipers.[5]

There would be no benefit at all to Hamas for killing the children of Fatah officers. There could only be the promise of retaliation which would mean the killing of more children which is not something either side would benefit from.

While there is no direct evidence to say that Israel’s Mossad was responsible, there is no doubt that the circumstantial evidence is enough for the finger of at least strong suspicion to be pointed in their general direction.


ENDNOTES
[1] Rory McCarthy, ‘‘They were targeting the children’: Gaza factions hit new level of horror’, UK Guardian, 12 December 2006. Available online: http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1969880,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12 Accessed 13 December 2006.
[2] Ibrahim Barzak, ‘3 Palestinian kids dead in Gaza drive-by’, Yahoo News, 12 December 2006. Available online: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061211/ap_on_re_mi_ea/palestinians_school_shooting Accessed 13 December 2006.
[3] ‘Abbas condemns killing of PA official 3 children at Gaza school’, Ha’aretz, 12 December 2006. Available online: http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/799484.html Accessed 13 December 2006.
[4] ‘Lebanon’s Army captures Israeli Mossad ‘Terrorist Ring’’ yaliban.com, 14 June 2006. Available online: http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2006/06/lebanons_army_c.php Accessed 13 December 2006.
[5] Robert Fisk, Roll Call of 322 Children Killed in the Intifada’, Commondreams.org, 1 October 2002. Available online: http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1001-05.htm Accessed 13 December 2006.