Update: Israeli gov't says they don't intend to harm civilians

Israeli government on Wednesday expressed regret for the deaths of about 19 Palestinians in the Israeli artillery strike in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, clarifying it doesn't intend to harm civilians.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed sorrow at the death of Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun, so as Defense Minister Amir Peretz did, local newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on its website.

The Israeli government offered the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) urgent humanitarian aid and immediate medical treatment for the injured, the report said.

Peretz authorized the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Palestinian territories Yusef Mishlav to send humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, it added.

Earlier, spokeswoman for Israeli government Miri Eisen told CNN that Israel don't target civilians.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)'s tank shells struck houses in the Beit Hanoun early Wednesday morning, killing 19 Palestinians and wounding at least 50 others, where most of the victims were sleeping when the 15-minute barrage of shells first hit.

In the first official responding to the shelling, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that IDF didn't intend to harm civilians, but mistakes occurred.

Unfortunately, during combat, sometimes sad incidents occur, such as what happened this morning, Livni told reporters at the start of an export conference in Tel Aviv.

Livni said that Israel had left Gaza over one year to allow Palestinians to take control of terror groups and develop an independent life for themselves, but to everyone's great misfortune, this did not happen.

The Israeli top diplomat emphasized that Israel had been subjected to non-stop terror attacks, including the firing of missiles by Palestinian militants at densely populated areas.

However, Israeli government has been condemned harshly by a number of parliament members. Ahmad Tibi, a Knesset (parliament) member, told Peretz to resign due to the recent IDF operations in Beit Hanoun, saying that the IDF is committing war crimes against civilians, reported the paper.

Another lawmaker Nadia Hilou from Labor party called for " stopping the circle of bloodshed, which throws the region into a downwards spiral, and come up with political plans as soon as possible."

The incident came one day after the IDF ended a six-day military operation "Autumn Clouds" which had claimed the lives of more than 60 militants and civilians.

Source: Xinhua