"Israel`s" shooting of a young girl highlights international hypocrisy, say Palestinians

Source: The Guardian, 30-1-2006.
By Chris McGreal in Khan Yunis
As the votes were counted in the Palestinian election and the scale of Hamas`s landslide became apparent to the world, Aya al-Astal drifted away from her home and wandered towards the fence along the border between the Gaza strip and "Israel". The nine-year-old girl`s parents realised she was gone as they watched the election results on television. They do not know precisely what happened, but the "Israeli" army later said Aya was behaving in a suspicious manner reminiscent of a terrorist - she got too close to the border fence - and so a soldier fired several bullets into the child, hitting her in the neck and blowing open her stomach.
Aya was the second child killed by the "Israeli" army last week. Soldiers near Ramallah shot 13-year-old Munadel Abu Aaalia in the back as he walked along a road reserved for Jewish (Zionist) settlers with two friends. The army claimed the boys planned to throw rocks at "Israeli" cars, which the military defines as (so-called) "terrorism".
The two killings went unnoticed by the outside world amid the political drama, but they made their impact among Palestinians angered by demands from western leaders for Hamas to recognise "Israel" and renounce its armed struggle.
Some Palestinians see the demands as a rejection of a democratic election and as siding with "Israel". Others see hypocrisy. They say "Israeli" soldiers killed twice as many Palestinians last week alone - both of them children - as the number of "Israelis" killed by Hamas all last year.
"Aya was shot in the neck and stomach. Her stomach was hanging out," said the child`s mother, Aisha. "We have no idea why she went there but she was a child. She was so small. She was nine years old. She didn`t wear a hijab. It was clear she was just a young girl. This is hatred."
"Hamas has kept the calm for a year. "Israel" is still killing our civilians," said the Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud al-Zahar. "Why is it that the "Israelis" can continue to kill our people, innocent people walking down the street, and there is no criticism from those who tell us we must give up our historic struggle against occupation? Why are they so afraid to criticize "Israel" but tell us what to do?"
The Astal family is politically divided. Aya`s mother voted for Hamas. The child`s aunt, Samir al-Astal, backed the losing party, Fatah. But there is little difference in their belief that there is a double standard at work in the foreign demands of "Israel" and of Palestinians.
"The Americans always give excuses for "Israel"," said Samir. ""Israel" is like a spoilt son. They never pressure them. They kill our children and no one says anything. If there is a reaction by Palestinians to these incidents they call us terrorists."