Israel Defense Force officials have rejected the findings of an initial inquiry by the United Nations that said Israeli soldiers knowingly shelled a U.N. base in southern Lebanon.
At least 91 Lebanese refugees who had sought refuge at the U.N. compound in Kana were killed by the April 18 shelling.
The incident occurred during Operation Grapes of Wrath, Israel’s military operation that sought to stop Hezbollah from firing Katyusha rockets into northern Israel. A cease-fire was reached April 26.
The report, prepared by Maj. Gen. Frank Van Kappen of the Netherlands, said that without contrary evidence from Israel, it would have to conclude the Israeli actions were deliberate.
Israel has maintained its artillery batteries were targeting Hezbollah gunners who had fired on IDF units from a site near the compound.
At the same time, an IDF inquiry into the shelling found that there were technical flaws in the artillery response.
While the IDF artillery knew where the base was, they checked the targeting coordinates incorrectly in preparing to fire at the terrorists, according to the IDF.
The IDF also said that intelligence was not aware that hundreds of Lebanese civilians were at the U.N. compound.
The IDF chief-of-staff was quoted as saying at the weekly Cabinet meeting that the artillery battery had not deliberately fired on the base.
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