Palestinian Broadcasters continued accusing Israel of killing school girl Noran Deeb, 10, on Monday, even though Palestinian officials have privately admitted that the girl was killed by Palestinian Muslim pilgrims returning from Mecca, firing celebratory shots in the air.

"Israel continued its attacks against our people today that began with the killing of Noran Deeb yesterday," asserted senior Voice of Palestine anchorman Nizar al-Ghul during the daily evening news round-up (9PM Jerusalem, 2PM NY).

The Palestinian charges of Israeli murder of the young school girl have been repeated many times on the air by Palestinian officials and were seized upon by the HAMAS organization which has fired more than a dozen mortar and missile rounds at Israeli communities inside Gaza over the last few days.

Even as VOP radio announcer Al-Ghul renewed Palestinian charges of Israeli cruelty, Israel Television´s Channel One reported Tuesday night (9-PM Jerusalem, 2-PM NY) that the Palestinian Authority had acknowledged that it was wrong in charging that Israel was responsible for killing a young girl in Gaza.

Dr. Michael Widlanski teaches political communication at the Rothberg School of the Hebrew University. (IMRA.ORG.IL 02/01/05)