According to The Jerusalem Post, Palestinians may have caused Gaza beach deaths, Olmert says:

Both Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz indicated Sunday that Friday's blast on a Gaza Strip beach that killed seven civilians may have been caused by the Palestinians, and not by the IDF.

Peretz told the weekly cabinet meeting that he had established an investigative committee headed by a major-general, which is to present its findings on Tuesday.

Peretz said the panel's preliminary findings showed that the Ghalia family was not killed by a shell fired by the IDF ground forces or the IAF. Peretz said that one of six artillery shells fired by the IDF was unaccounted for, but that there was a gap between when the shells were fired and the time the Palestinians said the shells landed.

Peretz told the ministers that some 40 Kassam rockets were fired at Sderot and nearby communities over the weekend, and that Nati Angel - the Sderot man seriously wounded by a Kassam Sunday morning at a school near the city - was a "personal friend." Peretz lives in Sderot, where he used to be mayor.

If this does turn out to be the cause, or even a distinctly possible cause, of this tragic incident, I expect the BBC, particularly given their intensive coverage of the original story, will be extremely keen to revisit the story in depth, in order to ensure that the truth is fully investigated and reported in an impartial manner, lest another serious falsehood is perpetrated and established. But I won't be holding my breath while waiting for Haw-Hawley and co. to leap in to action.

Update: According to Funerals for Gaza beach victims:

The BBC's Simon Wilson in Jerusalem says that Saturday's rocket attacks appear mainly symbolic.

Try telling that to Nati Angel (see above). I can think of some a***s that could do with a symbolic rocket or two up them...

But a spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam brigade, said next time the rockets would be longer range and hit deeper inside Israel.

Presumably for even greater 'symbolism', eh Mr. Wilson.

Hat tip: commenters dumbcisco re. JP link and Big Mouth re. Wilson quote.