Date:03/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/03/stories/2008120360591000.htm

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Commandos did the utmost: Israel

Jerusalem: The Israel government on Tuesday slammed ZAKA humanitarian rescue group for alleging that Indian commandos may have inadvertently killed one or more Jewish hostages during the Nariman House operation, saying the “irresponsible” comments could cause considerable damage to bilateral ties.

“They are selling all kinds of stories to journalists looking for stories, and taking credit for things they didn’t do,” a Foreign Ministry official told The Jerusalem Post.

The head of the ZAKA team, Haim Weingarten, had in a telephonic interview to The Jerusalem Post on Monday, said that one or more hostages at the Nariman House may have been killed by the National Security Guards commandos.

Sandra Samuel, the Indian nanny who rescued Jewish toddler Moshe Holtzberg — son of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka who were killed — from terrorists, may be conferred the top “Righteous Gentile” in Israel, media reports said. — PTI