Haaretz reports that Israel used phosphorus shells against Lebanon:

Israel has acknowledged for the first time that it attacked Hezbollah targets during the second Lebanon war with phosphorus shells. White phosphorus causes very painful and often lethal chemical burns to those hit by it, and until recently Israel maintained that it only uses such bombs to mark targets or territory.

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Rabbi Yonah

9 Comments

  • Not nice, but it seems to be in very common use in and around all or most of our current battle theaters in SW Asia. Regards, ‘VJ’

  • Stupid shit like this makes it hard to do my job.

    And anti-Israel groups had been reporting this for the past few weeks. Kinda sucks when they are right.

  • If it’s true, while I think that Israel should have confirmed this when the original reports came in, there is most likely no international violation on Israel’s part in using white phosphorus. See Global Security’s white phosphorus article and note the following about the US:

    White phosphorus is not banned by any treaty to which the United States is a signatory. Smokes and obscurants comprise a category of materials that are not used militarily as direct chemical agents. The United States retains its ability to employ incendiaries to hold high-priority military targets at risk in a manner consistent with the principle of proportionality that governs the use of all weapons under existing law. The use of white phosphorus or fuel air explosives are not prohibited or restricted by Protocol II of the Certain Conventional Weapons Convention (CCWC), the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects.

    Is Israel a signatory to any treaty that bans WP’s use? I would doubt it.

  • Thanks Shy Guy, That’s exactly what I was thinking about. Cheers, ‘VJ’

  • Yes you can always justify the use of something that is not technically forbidden…

    Israel denied its use at first. Then fail to provide any military reason as to why they used it. The LA times published an article yesterday i nthe op ed claiming that israel wiped villages off the map in So lebanon.

    Cant there be one just one eloquent person to stand up and explain why and what Israel did? Instead everything is cloaked in pseudo secrecy as if this is going to help anyone, let alone israel’s standing. Not that I really care a rats tuches what the world thinks about us, they hate us because we run the world, but that those millions and millions of christians that want to support israel need lots of reasons to do so.

    And hiding things and being covert sounds like we are trying to HIDE what we did. Instead we shouldhave huge billboards that read “Hizbollah attackes innocent israelis and will be repaid with fire and brimstone.— love israel.”

  • Rabbi Yonah,
    the truth is that we all still don’t know what the hell went on there except for an endless supply or miracles. We don’t understand why the army ‘hid’ Hezbollah’s use of cluster bombs and we don’t know why the directionless government waited until a few days before the anticipated ceasefire to send paratroopers to the Litani River when we all should have been heading there from the beginning instead of all being used for Amalek target practice.

    My area of the theatre of battle was ‘nice’ and relatively ‘clean’, but other areas were full-on “Saving Private Ryan”. We know the Arabs play dirty, so who the hell cares about playing by the ‘rules’ (that might not even apply).

    War sucks. If you (not you personally) haven’t been there, then it’s best not to be so judgemental. No matter how gung-ho and fearless you are, nevertheless, your blood runs real fast when your laser detector starts beeping since your tank is being either ‘painted’ by Lebanese Highway cops or two freaks with a Russian missle.

  • Reminds me of one of the first days in basic training when we first learn about guns the army uses. We are taught that Israel uses the 5.56 calibre bullet even though it is ‘illegal’ (whatever that means) because frankly, we use US guns and let the world first go to the US about their choice of ammunition.