Blogger News Network

July 19, 2006

Four Canadian children from Montreal were killed by an Israeli attack in Lebanon Sunday. Saja Al-Akhrass,8,Zeinab Al-Akhrass,6,Ahmad Al-Akhrass,4 and Salam Al-Akhrass,11 months had gone to Lebannon for a summer holiday to visit their extended family in their ancestural home; the home that collapsed upon them after an Israeli bomb struck. Their parents, 36-year-old Ali Al-Akhrass and his wife, Amira, 23 were also killed in the attack.

"I lost my brother, I lost my sister, my nephew, the family of my nephew, my aunt, my uncle. Oh God," said Hussain El-Akras, brother of one of the victims."I'm frustrated, I'm angry. I can't sleep. I can't eat." He told a Montreal news conference Monday that his family were begging the government of Canada to "put pressure on Israel to stop this barbaric behaviour.""Israel is bombing civilian people and we should not accept that," the Uncle told reporters.

"The responsibility for any civilian casualties rests entirely with the Hizbollah terrorist organization," Israel's army said. "The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) requested and warned residents of the area not to stay within range of the launch sites" the army said in a statement.

Sources

• Reuters "Israel blames Hizbollah after Canadian deaths". Reuters, July 18,2006

• DENE MOORE "Relatives of Montreal family killed in Israeli raids demand inquiry". CanadianPress, July 18,2006

• CTV.ca News Staff "Montreal relatives of slain family beg for support". CTV, July 18,2006