This AM Palestinian gunfire killed a 43-yr. old father of 8 in Paduel (report).

The discussion here in Israel about the Shehade hit largely assumes two things people elsewhere seem to be arguing about: Is killing senior terror ringleaders like Shehade justified? Absolutely ... Is it right to kill them in a circumstance that seems likely to result in the deaths of bystanders? No.

Both these points are largely taken for granted here and (unfortunately as it were) have the status of Standard Operating Procedure.

Here's more on the IDF's planning of the Shehade killing.

13 of the 17 civilian casualties in the attack were residents of adjacent buildings. The IDF estimated that a bomb dropped from an aircraft (rather than a helicopter-fired missile) was required to destroy Shehade's building and kill those inside; but the Army and the Shin Bet (security service) disagreed regarding how much damage would be caused to the rest of the neighborhood.

In the end, Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter accepted the army's assessment - based on tests performed by the Air Force - that residents of the nearby buildings would suffer only shrapnel wounds, shock or cuts from broken glass. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer approved the operation on the basis of the army's assessment.

If the article is mostly accurate, then it's not disingenous for Sharon and Ben-Eliezer to shift blame to the IDF, which seems to have been more "enthusiastic" (and "optimistic") than the Shin-Bet.

One of the casualties in the attack on Shehade was Hamas operative Zahaar Abu-Hussein.