Envoys say they saw IDF fire at children By Ha'aretz Daily

The below article has been quoted from Ha'aretz which was published on July-16-2001.Click here to read the full article

By Amira Hass

A group of Western diplomats traveling from Jerusalem to Ramallah claim they saw Israeli troops near Jerusalem firing live ammunition at a group of children throwing stones, even though the children were too far to pose a risk to the soldiers.

The diplomats say that shots were fired even though a long line of civilian cars were traveling past the children at the time. They also think that one of the children was injured, because shortly after the shooting, the group of children gathered around one youngster. Sources in Qalandia, however, say that they have no reports of anyone being injured that day.

The diplomatic convoy was slowed near Qalandia refugee camp by an IDF roadblock set up a couple of hundred meters from the entrance to the camp. One of the diplomats told Ha'aretz that the children hid behind garbage containers and threw stones at an IDF lookout, at the edge of the nearby Atarot airfield. He says the soldiers were well protected in their high post, but in any case one of the soldiers shot at the children. The diplomats believe that live fire was used.

The diplomat, says that he saw a second soldier in the observation tower clapping and raising his hands as if in victory after his colleague fired at the children.