Israel breaking humanitarian law as 7 year-old girl is killed

"Yesterday the Israeli military fired a shell that hit the house of the Ghiben family in the town of Beit Lahya in the northern Gaza Strip. Hadil, a seven-year old girl, was killed, and twelve people were injured, including Hadil's pregnant mother Sfia Ghiben, who was seriously injured," a human rights organizations said today.

B'TSELEM, the Israeli information center for human rights in the occupied palestinian territories, said "The shelling occurred as part of Israel's policy during the past few months to shell "launching sites" from which Qassam rockets are fired at Israeli communities. Often these sites are located in residential neighborhoods that are put at risk by Israeli shelling."

B'TSELEM said "According to media reports, the Israeli military has even decided to reduce the "safety zone" that is intended to prevent or limit the danger to residential areas. This zone will reportedly be reduced from 300 to 100 meters...International humanitarian law prohibits attacks from within or near densely populated areas, and prohibits using civilians as 'human shields'."