Inquiry into Gaza boys' deaths

Thousands turned out for the funerals of the boys on Friday

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel's defense minister says an inquiry is being held into reports that a bomb planted by Israeli forces killed five Palestinian children in Gaza.

The death of five boys in the Khan Younis refugee camp renewed tensions ahead of a U.S. diplomatic push to stop more than a year of fighting.

At first both sides thought that the boys were killed by an unexploded tank shell they found on their way to school.

But reports grew of a booby-trap device left by Israeli soldiers to target Palestinian gunmen who use the area to fire mortars at nearby Israeli army posts and settlements.

Demands for an official verdict culminated in Israel's transport minister -- a member of the security cabinet -- calling for an inquiry. About 10,000 people marched in a funeral procession for the five children Friday, with other children carrying photographs of their dead classmates.

Gunmen fired rifles in the air and marchers shouted Islamic slogans. Masked men wrote slogans on the walls of a mosque, threatening Israel with revenge.

Idress Al-Astal, father of two of the dead children, said no investigation could bring back his sons. "God will avenge me," he told the Associated Press, breaking down in tears.

The boys who died were all related, including included two sets of brothers. They were named as Muhammad al Astal, 14; Omar al Astal, 13; Muhammad al Astal, 12; Aniees al Astal, 12, and Akram al Astal, 6.

"It's clear that this must be investigated thoroughly," said Transport Minister Ephraim Sneh, an ex-general and a member of the security Cabinet.

"Someone may have to be punished if he acted improperly or acted with negligence," Sneh told Israel Radio, but added that the context of the tragedy is that "there is a terrorism and guerrilla war being waged against Israel."

In a statement, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said the incident is being checked and the results of the inquiry would be presented to him. He expressed regret for "the tragic loss of innocent life."

A man holds up a destroyed bag and textbook at the scene of the explosion

Israel Radio quoted him as expressing sorrow for the children's deaths, Reuters reported.

The Israeli military did not comment.

Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo blamed Israel for what he told the AP was the "assassination of our children." He called on the United States and Europe to press Israel to pull its troops back from Palestinian population centers.

Palestinian Public Security Chief Abdel-Razek al-Majaydeh said on Friday further investigation showed the children were killed when they hit a booby-trapped device planted by Israeli troops in an area that has been a flashpoint for violence.

"We had information from witnesses that they had seen an Israeli army bulldozer working near that area the day before," Majaydeh told Reuters.

"We urge an international investigative committee to look into the murder of the innocent children and to determine Israel's responsibility," he added.

The tragedy charged the atmosphere before the arrival of two high-level U.S. officials, marking the start of a new American effort to calm down the Mideast fighting amid the U.S.-led offensive in Afghanistan.

Retired General Anthony Zinni, the new U.S. envoy to the Middle East, and William Burns, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, will meet Monday with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Sharon's office said Friday.

Secretary of State Colin Powell is sending Zinni and Burns to the region to restart talks between Israelis and Palestinians and establish a cease-fire between the two sides.

Palestinians and Israelis both lowered expectations on Friday of any major breakthrough from the new U.S. peace drive, but said they hoped it would bring progress toward ending nearly 14 months of violence which has killed nearly 900 people, more than 700 of them Palestinians.

Ahmed Abdel-Rahman, a senior aide to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, told Reuters that no progress would be made if international monitors were not brought into the region to put an end to what he called Israeli "aggression."

Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, told Reuters that Israel does not "have very high expectations, but we are hopeful" the U.S. peace mission will succeed.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has demanded a week of calm before befrting to implement the cease-fire-to-talks plan, but Palestinian officials say the new U.S. effort cannot succeed if Israel sticks to that condition.

A week after Peres told the U.N. that his people support creation of a Palestinian state -- provoking calls for his dismissal by hardliners -- a poll published Friday backed his conclusion.

The Gallup poll in the Maariv daily showed that 59 percent of Israelis surveyed supported the creation of a Palestinian state, and 36 percent were opposed. The other 5 percent had no opinion, the poll said.

The poll showed that 73 percent of the respondents believed that a Palestinian state would emerge, regardless of their views on the issue.

The Maariv poll also showed widespread Israeli support for peace talks -- 55 percent in favor of speeded-up negotiations and 20 percent for declaring war on the Palestinians. Another 19 percent preferred the current situation. Sharon has declared there can be no negotiations with the Palestinians until all violence stops.

The Maariv poll questioned 544 Israeli adults and quoted a 4.5 percent margin of error.