Israel admits to killing 5 Palestinian children in Gaza in recent offensive

Israel acknowledged the killing of five Palestinian children in an aerial raid during the recent three-day offensive on the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.

Defense Ministry officials confirmed Israel’s responsibility in the incident, which occurred on Aug. 7 in a cemetery in the Jabaliya area, northern Gaza, leading to “the death of five minors killed on the last day of the recent hostilities with Islamic Jihad this month,” according to the Haaretz daily.

Initial accusations had blamed the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad for the incident after the failed launch of a rocket that landed back inside Gaza.

The newspaper added that a separate investigation for the Israeli army on another incident found that eight Palestinian civilians, including children, were killed on Aug. 6 by a misfired rocket launched by Islamic Jihad.

The Israeli army said it released a video showing the failed launch of a rocket by the Islamic Jihad that caused the deaths.

Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes against targets in Gaza on Aug. 5, citing an “imminent threat of attack” by Islamic Jihad following rising tensions across the Palestinian territories.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 49 Palestinians, including 17 children and four women, were killed, while over 360 others were injured in the strikes.