Do you know WHY they fired on the cemetery? Maurie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Heal" <healr@optushome.com.au> To: <aus-military@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 4:13 PM Subject: [AUS-MIL] Story from "The Australian" re war cemetery. > > THE British Embassy in Tel Aviv has lodged a formal complaint > after Israeli forces damaged graves at the Commonwealth war > cemetery in Gaza City. > > Officials sent a letter four months ago after learning that six > headstones and a perimeter wall were destroyed by an Israeli army > bulldozer during an operation in July in retaliation for the kidnapping > of soldier Gilad Shalit, the /Daily Telegraph /said today. > > More damage occurred last week during an Israeli offensive in the town > of Beit Hanoun, when an attack helicopter fired on one of the cemetery's > memorials, the daily newspaper said in a report from the site. > > Two dozen more headstones had been hit by shrapnel from artillery fire > and several others destroyed, it said. > > One unnamed British diplomat in Tel Aviv was quoted as saying officials > found it "rather exasperating'' that there had been no formal reply from > the Israeli government. > > Andy Fretwell, from the Commonwealth war Graves Commission, was quoted > as saying: "It's very upsetting for everyone involved in maintaining the > many war graves here in the Holy Land but particularly for our loyal and > dedicated local staff. > > "I just wish the Israelis would pay more attention to what they are > doing.'' > > The cemetery, which was completed in 1920, is the final resting place > for nearly 4000 Commonwealth servicemen, most of them killed during WWI > during action against the Ottoman Empire. Some 175 Australian soldiers > are buried there. > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to AUS-MILITARY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.13.29/520 - Release Date: 6/11/06 > >