Quds, April 30, SPA -- An Israeli human rights group on Wednesday called for a criminal probe into the death of a Gaza mother and her four preschool children, saying the Israeli military appears to have violated international law by firing a missile at militants close to the family's home, despite high risk of harming civilians, according to ap. The military, which is conducting its own investigation into the incident, declined comment on the findings by the B'tselem human rights group. In an initial response, the army had said the family was killed by the militants' explosives, ignited by the missile strike. Monday's killing of Miyasar Abu Meatak and her four children, ages 15 months to 6 years, revived the debate over rules of engagement in densely populated areas. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have blamed Hamas for the deaths, accusing it of allowing militants to operate within residential areas. Olmert said Hamas, which rules Gaza, is «turning the civilian population in Gaza into an indivisible part of its war.» However, B'tselem said firing a missile close to a home would violate the rule of proportionality set by international law. «In these circumstances, it's highly likely civilians would be at home and be hit by the blast,» said Sarit Michaeli, a spokeswoman for B'tselem. «Even if you attack a legitimate military target, the anticipated damage has to be in proportion to the anticipated gain.»
