Israel admits to using phosphorus bombs in 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.

"The announcement that the Israel Defense Forces had used phosphorus bombs in the war in Lebanon was made by Minister Jacob Edery, in charge of government-Knesset relations. He had been queried on the matter by MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz-Yahad).

"'The IDF holds phosphorus munitions in different forms,' Edery said. 'The IDF made use of phosphorous shells during the war against Hezbollah in attacks against military targets in open ground.'

"Edery also pointed out that international law does not forbid the use of phosphorus and that 'the IDF used this type of munitions according to the rules of international law.'

"Edery did not specify where and against what types of targets phosphorus munitions were used. During the war several foreign media outlets reported that Lebanese civilians carried injuries characteristic of attacks with phosphorus, a substance that burns when it comes to contact with air.

"In one CNN report, a casualty with serious burns was seen lying in a South Lebanon hospital.

"In another case, Dr. Hussein Hamud al-Shel, who works at Dar al-Amal hospital in Ba'albek, said that he had received three corpses 'entirely shriveled with black-green skin,' a phenomenon characteristic of phosphorus injuries."
Haaretz via South News

White phosphorus (weapon) at Wikipedia

Tagged: war+crimes, israel, army, military, lebanon