The killing of Palestinian children and other civilians in a string of Israeli army operations has unleashed unusual criticism of both the military tactics employed in Israel’s war with the Palestinians and the political strategy guiding them. Israeli President Moshe Katsav wondered aloud if some of his nation’s troops had become ‘‘trigger-happy’’ after two incidents in four days prompted statements of regret from the army for the deaths of innocent civilians. ‘‘The question as to whether the (army) was trigger-happy must be examined,’’ Katsav said during a tour of an elementary school. Israel orders probe JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has ordered a probe into a series of Army operations that killed Palestinian civilians. Israeli forces killed 11 Palestinians in separate incidents at the weekend, including two children in a helicopter attack on a militant. (Reuters) Katsav’s post is largely ceremonial, but coming from a member of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s right-wing Likud Party, his comments were significant. Violence against Israelis has dropped off markedly, Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said on Sunday. Nearly four weeks have passed without a suicide bombing, and no Israelis have been killed by Palestinians inside Israel’s borders in the same period. Israel’s operations are at least partially responsible, according to Ben-Eliezer and many military analysts. The house arrest of thousands of Palestinians plus the policy of killing militants, have hindered efforts by Palestinian groups to mount new attacks, the analysts say. ‘‘The pressure that Israel is applying has led to fewer attempts to carry out attacks,’’ Ben-Eliezer told Sunday’s Cabinet meeting. Also, several Palestinian figures have urged radical factions to hold off attacks inside Israel as Palestinians engage in a wider debate over the direction of the struggle for independence. At least publicly, the Islamic movement Hamas has made it clear it will not heed that call and has rejected any ceasefire and threatened to exact revenge for recent killings by Israel. In its pursuit of suspects, the Israeli army has become overzealous, Palestinians and some Israelis charged. In the past month, 40 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society; the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that about three-quarters of those were civilians. On Sunday, Israeli helicopters fired missiles at a car with men suspected of planning attacks. Instead of the intended target, however, two children and two teenagers were killed. Four unarmed Palestinians were killed by troops in disputed circumstances near Hebron. The army said it was acting on information that an attack on a nearby Jewish settlement was imminent, but Palestinians said the men were killed in cold blood. Haim Ramon, a member of the center-left Labor Party, which co-governs with Likud, said the killing of innocents is not only immoral but drives more Palestinians to violent actions. ‘‘We should check whether the chain of mishaps and apologies really stems from mistakes rather than from a change of policy in a way which makes the finger on the trigger much lighter,’’ Ramon told Israeli radio. (LATWP)
