UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon showed his frustration with Israel for failing to do more to stop Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza.  Ban is particularly upset over the well-publicized deaths of four little Palestinians boys killed while playing soccer on a beach.

“I regret that despite my repeated urgings, and those of many regional and world leaders together, an already dangerous conflict has now escalated even further,” Ban said.  “I urge Israel to do far more to stop civilian casualties.”

The four Palestinians boys – all cousins of the Bakr family, aged nine- to eleven-years old – were killed by Israeli missile fire as they played soccer on a Gaza beach outside a hotel where international journalists were staying.  Some of the reporters actually were kicking the ball around with the boys moments before the IDF gunboat opened fire.  The journalists treated the injured boys while covering the story.  It seems inconceivable that the IDF mistook the 125-centimeter tall kids for seasoned Hamas militants.  An investigation is underway.

And the civilian casualties keep piling up.  At least eleven more Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli Defense Force’s (IDF) invasion of Gaza, added to the more than 200 killed in the past ten day of Israeli missile bombardments of suspected Hamas targets which are densely packed alongside homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals.  One IDF soldier also died in the invasion.