[UPDATE: See the HonestReporting communique on this topic.]
[UPDATE: PA police have arrested a Palestinian suspect in this shooting.]
A 10-year old Palestinian girl was killed by gunfire yesterday in a schoolyard near the Rafah/Egypt border. Her death was the pretext for a volley of Hamas mortar fire shortly thereafter.
The Jerusalem Post reports that the IDF denies shooting the girl, claiming that Palestinians returning from the haj in Mecca fired celebratory gunshots in the air, and one of those bullets struck her.
But this AFP headline asserts the IDF killed the girl, relying on a UNRWA spokesman:
Palestinian schoolgirl shot dead by Israeli troops in Gaza
Israeli denials are buried deep in the AFP report.
The Independent notes both claims but the balance is against Israel. Note this snippet’s first two words:
Plainly embarrassed Israeli military sources said they knew of no shooting in the area…
Fair Reuters coverage:
A Reuters correspondent visiting the blood-stained schoolyard said it did not appear that Israeli soldiers some 600 meters (yards) away could have seen into the compound from their position behind high walls.
Other reports such as these from AP and The Guardian noted both sides’ claims fairly enough.
