Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert apologized Thursday for the
deaths of Palestinian civilians in recent Israeli army airstrikes
after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at an
informal breakfast in Jordan.
Some 13 Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli
airstrikes in the past week, including two people in a Gaza house
on Wednesday and three children in Gaza on Tuesday.
Olmert said he felt "deep regret for the death of innocent
Palestinians."
"It is against our policy and I am very, very sorry," he
added.
Olmert did not mention a June 9 beach explosion in which another
eight Palestinian civilians were killed. Palestinians blame Israel
for that incident, but Israel has denied responsibility.
Maj. Gen. Eliezer Shakedi, the Israeli air force commander, said
in Israel, however, that the airstrikes would continue. The
increasing number of errors were largely due to more militant
activity in densely populated areas, he said.
"We have to make a great effort to try everything possible to
avoid hitting civilians," he told Israel's Army Radio.
"We have to fight terrorism and we are doing it," he said,
adding that the airstrikes were "the most accurate and the best
possible option without launching a broad and very significant
(ground) operation."
Olmert and Abbas had breakfast with Jordan's King Abdullah II in
the ancient Jordanian town of Petra -- the first meeting between
top Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a year. After the informal
get-together, they pledged to meet again within weeks.
The two leaders shook hands, embraced and kissed each other on
the cheek. Asked about his handshake with Olmert, Abbas said, "It
was very warm, very warm."
(Chinadaily.com via agencies June 23, 2006)
