JERUSALEM: The Israeli army admitted on Wednesday that troops killed the three daughters of a Palestinian doctor during the Gaza war, mistaking them for spotters directing Hamas fire.A probe of the January 16 incident "found that two shells were fired from an IDF (army) tank resulting in the deaths of Dr (Ezzedine Abu) al-Eish's three daughters," the military said in a statement. It said a unit of the Golani Infantry Brigade came under sniper and mortar fire in an area filled with improvised explosive devices. "The force identified and located the source of fire from a house adjacent to that of the doctor's, and in response opened fire," the military said. The troops also fired at "suspicious figures" on the upper level of Abu al-Eish's house they thought were "spotters who directed the Hamas sniper and mortar fire." "It is from this fire, that the three daughters of Dr Abu al-Eish were killed," the statement said. "Following the opening of fire, screams were heard from the direction of the house and immediately the IDF force ceased all fire. Only later was it understood that this was in fact the house of Dr Abu al-Eish. "When contact was made with the doctor, the IDF force operated in order to allow for ambulances to evacuate the injured via the Erez crossing for immediate emergency medical treatment in Israel." The military said it had repeatedly contacted the doctor before the incident, urging him to evacuate his home "because of Hamas operations and the intense fighting that was already taking place in that area for several days."
Sunday, February 28, 2010 HAVANA: Hundreds of wealthy merchants and cigar aficionados from all parts of the world gathered in Havana this week to bid high stakes for humidors full of premium cigars. Cuba's annual Habanos festival ended on Friday night with an auction of ornate humidors of cedar and mahogany stacked with hand-rolled stogies that raised 800,000 euros ($1.09 million dollars). Habanos S.A. executives this month said cigar sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 percent of customers for Habanos. But even with the creation of the Julieta, Garcia said Habanos has only modest hopes for 2010 sales, due largely to a weak economy in Spain, the biggest market for Cuban cigars. The flavor of premium tobacco relies on the soil and climate in which it is grown. The western province of Pinar Del Rio, famous fo...
Comments