A report entitled "Gaza Operations Investigation: Second Update" was presented by Israel to the UN this week. It is a response to accusations of "war crimes" raised by the Goldstone Report in the wake of the 22-day-long Operation Cast Lead, which began in December 2008.

Peruse the 40-page report. It is posted in English on the Foreign Ministry's Web site. Doing so will enhance your understanding of the ethical dilemmas faced by the State of Israel in its fight against terrorism. It will also boost your appreciation for the high moral standards of the IDF's rules of engagement.

The Al-Maqadmah mosque incident, mentioned in the report, is a case in point. On January 3, 2009, a number of Palestinian civilians were killed by an IDF missile that struck the entrance to the house of prayer in Beit Lahiya. Justice Richard Goldstone's "Report of the UN Human Rights Council Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict" accused Israel of possible war crimes related to these deaths. After an exhaustive investigation, however, the IDF found that the missile strike had been directed at two terrorists observed firing Kassam rockets at Israeli cities in the South. The other casualties were both unintended and unforeseeable.

A number of factors combined to cause these unfortunate fatalities. There was a "ticking bomb" element...