Human Shields

In the third week of a war started by Hezbollah, after weeks of warning civilians to get out of Southern Lebanon, the Israeli Air Force Struck at a town that had been the launch site for hundreds of artillery rockets fired into Israel. At least 57 civilians were reported killed. 37 of the dead were children. The Prime Minister and the Defense minister of Israel have expressed their regret over the incident.

 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that he needed 10 days to two weeks to finish the offensive in Lebanon, a senior Israeli government official reported Sunday.

Olmert met with Rice on Saturday night to discuss the 19-day-old offensive in southern Lebanon. Their meeting came before the IAF strike in Qana early Sunday.

Following the strike, Olmert and Rice scheduled a new meeting on Sunday evening.

Earlier, Olmert expressed deep regret for the harm inflicted on the civilians in Qana Sunday morning when at least 57 civilians – 37 of whom were children – were killed as the IAF fired missiles at a building in the southern Lebanese town.

"I express deep regret, along with all of Israel and the IDF, for the civilian deaths in Qana," said Olmert. "Nothing could be further from our intentions and our interests than harming civilians – everyone understands that. When we do harm civilians, the whole world recognizes that it is an exceptional case that does not characterize us."

"In contrast," Olmert said, "Hizbullah has launched rockets with the aim of murdering innocent civilians in northern Israel."

The prime minsiter vowed that the fight against Hizbullah would continue despite the Qana tragedy.

"Hizbullah, like other Islamic terror movements, threatens the entire civilization. When we decided to respond, we knew that we would need to be strong in the face of difficult situations," said Olmert.

Olmert said that the area was a focal point for the firing of Katyusha rockets on Kiryat Shmona and Afula. He said that from the outset of the conflict, "hundreds of rockets have been fired from the Qana area."

Obviously the death of children in war is a horrible thing. What has to be kept in mind here is one simple question: In the third week of a war started by Hezbollah, after weeks of warning civilians to get out of Southern Lebanon, what were children doing in that town in the middle of a war zone? There is only one answer, they were there specifically to create this kind of news event should Israel hit the village. This is the utter depravity of Hezbollah on display and the world should condemn it as such.

Obviously the death of children in war is a horrible thing. What has to be kept in mind here is one simple question: In the third week of a war started by Hezbollah, after weeks of warning civilians to get out of Southern Lebanon, what were children doing in that town in the middle of a war zone? There is only one answer, they were there specifically to create this kind of news event should Israel hit the village. This is the utter depravity of Hezbollah on display and the world should condemn it as such.