**An Israeli human rights group says many more Palestinian civilians were killed in the Israeli military’s campaign this year in Gaza than the army admits.**B’Tselem said detailed research showed that out of 1,400 Palestinian deaths, 773 were civilians - many of them children.
This contradicts an Israeli army report stating that fewer than 300 civilians died in the fighting earlier this year.
Israel launched the assault to halt rocket attacks from Hamas-run Gaza.
Amnesty International has already accused Israel of having committed war crimes during its offensive.
B’Tselem said the findings had been compiled during months of research, including visits to the families of those killed.
The group said the results should compel the Israeli government to launch an independent investigation into its three-week offensive.
“The extremely heavy civilian casualties and the massive damage to civilian property require serious introspection on the part of Israeli society”
B’Tselem
Earlier this year the Israeli army said that 1,166 Gazans were killed in the conflict.
The army said this figure included 709 militants from Hamas and other groups, and 295 non-combatants.
According to B’Tselem, 1,387 Palestinians were killed.
It says that figure includes 773 civilians, 330 combatants, 248 Palestinian police officers - whom Israel counts in its figure of militants - and 36 people whose role was unclear.
The group estimates 252 people under the age of 16 died - the military puts that figure at 89.
“The extremely heavy civilian casualties and the massive damage to civilian property require serious introspection on the part of Israeli society,” **(http://www.btselem.org/English/index.asp) wrote, adding that it considers the army’s internal probe as insufficient.
The Israeli army has admitted “rare mishaps” during the campaign but denies troops violated international humanitarian law.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the report, but has previously said the aim of the campaign “was to target the Hamas terror organisation and not citizens of the Gaza Strip.”**