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Palestinians grieve deaths of civilians

BY MATTHEW McALLESTER | Newsday Staff Writer

July 10, 2006

GAZA CITY, Gaza - Once Ayman Hajaj shook off the initial shock of the explosion in his family's garden, he looked at where his mother, sister and brother had been sitting.

Six-year-old Rawan, the youngest of his 13 siblings, lay facedown with her red shorts and shirt burned off her. Her long dark hair spread out from her head.

There were large wounds all over her body and head. His mother, Amna, 47, was also facedown, her clothes all but torn away from her. Her left arm was almost ripped off. Her head was badly injured.

The body of his brother, Mohammed, a 20-year-old student, was "shattered."

The three members of the Hajaj family who died Saturday night in an explosion in their home became the most high-profile civilian casualties of the battle between Israel and Palestinian militants, as the Israeli military continued its attack on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said it was not responsible for the explosion, but the Hajaj family - and most Palestinians - are convinced the three were killed by an Israeli missile.

While the truth may matter in the court of international public opinion, people in Gaza instantly made up their mind. Dozens of militants marched in the joint funeral procession yesterday morning swearing vengeance against Israel for the Hajaj deaths.

"I don't want to answer that question," said Ayman Hajaj, 28, when asked if he too wanted revenge. He works as a truck driver, taking goods into Gaza from a nearby crossing with Israel and has what he called good relations with the Israelis who work at the crossing point.

Capt. Jacob Dallal, a spokesman for the Israeli army, said it had nothing to do with the explosion. "There was no tank or artillery fire in the area at the time," he said. "Based on the initial investigation, we have eliminated our involvement."

There was little ambiguity about another civilian death yesterday - of an 18-year-old man - with the Israeli military acknowledging it had carried out an aerial attack against a group of militants in the Rafah refugee camp.

The Israeli air force fired two missiles at what appears to have been a car carrying Hamas militants, according to witnesses and reports. The militants escaped and the civilian man was killed, witnesses said.

During the day yesterday, Palestinian militants launched three rockets into Israel in the border town of Sderot, wounding one person.

For much of last night, Gaza experienced a degree of calm on the streets. Most people seemed to be watching the World Cup final.

This story was supplemented with wire service reports.