A gesture to honor the dead

Instead of retaliating against what Israel has (kind of tactlessly) labelled 'technical error, I hope the Palestinians try a new way: issue a statement urging the Israeli government to do it's utmost to prevent similar attacks on innocent Palestinians and push for an immediate round of discussion to resolve issues and move forward. Call me a cock-eyed optimist, but that would seem a productive, and worthwhile, manner with which to honour the dead. In the spirit of this determination not to let this tragedy taint or delay the resolution of Palestinian/ Israeli problems, any new deal reached should be named after the youngest victim of this attack, instead of the place where it was hammered out.

I know this isn't going to happen, but I'm sick of the cycle of vengeance in that part of the world. It has to stop somewhere.

Olmert blames 'technical error' for deadly shelling

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday blamed a "technical error" for the military's tank shelling of Beit Hanoun that killed 19 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, according to a spokeswoman with the minister's office.

The bloodshed happened early Wednesday, hours after Israel announced it had pulled out of the northern Gaza town where it was targeting militants firing Qassam rockets into Israel.

Israeli tanks, poised on the outskirts of Beit Hanoun, fired 10 artillery rounds into the town's center and killed 19 people, Palestinian medical sources said. (Watch villager describe how relatives were 'cut to pieces' -- 2:40)

Among the dead was a 13-member family that included seven children, the sources said.

Israelis, Palestinians alike outraged

The deaths have been labeled a massacre by moderate and hard-line Palestinian leaders, and have prompted outrage among Israelis, Palestinians and the international community.

The Associated Press reported that 18 were killed, members of an extended family. (Full story)

Hours after the incident, which is under investigation, Olmert and Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz expressed their regret over the civilian deaths.

Israel Defense Forces said units "fired preventative artillery" at rocket launch sites in Beit Hanoun to "disrupt and thwart the launching of Qassam rockets."

In a statement, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed shock at the attack, and renewed a call to the Israeli government to stop its military operations in Gaza, without delay, and the Palestinians to halt attacks against Israelis.