Spent shells prove Israeli use of white phosphorus, Gaza doctors say

[Barack_America]

Spent shells prove Israeli use of white phosphorus, Gaza doctors say

January 15, 2009
Jerusalem

Remnants of an Israeli white phosphorus shell, identified by the marking on the outer casing — M825A1 — have been found in the village of Sheikh Ajilin in western Gaza.

Witnesses in Gaza said that the shell was fired on January 9 and was taken indoors as evidence. They recalled seeing thick smoke and smelling a strong odour in keeping with the garlic-like smell associated with white phosphorus.

Hebrew writing on the shell casing reads "exploding smoke" — the term the Israeli army uses for white phosphorus. Doctors who examined the shell said that it appeared to include phosphorus residue.

<snip>

The Geneva Treaty of 1980 stipulates that white phosphorus should not be used as a weapon of war in civilian areas but there is no blanket ban under international law on its use as a smokescreen or for illumination.

<snip>

Israeli security officials said that Palestinians were using phosphorus weapons of their own and that a phosphorus bomb exploded in the western Negev region of Israel yesterday. It was among 14 rockets fired from Gaza into Israel. No one was injured in the attacks...

More:
http://newsfrommiddleeast.com/?xstart=b&new=50864

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So first Israel denied the use of white phosphorus, then they admitted it but declared it was perfectly legal to do so. Now they are claiming that Hamas is using it too. This is the second time today I've seen such a claim. Funny though, because if Hamas had used white phosphorus in the past, wouldn't Israel have mentioned it before? And if Hamas does have white phosphorus weapons (which they probably don't) and only used them *after* Israel used their own against Palestinians, wouldn't that be ironic? After all, isn't Israel the one who supposedly acting in self-defense and only in retaliation?

Note to Israel, use of such weapons near civilians is only going to make you look bad, no matter how you attempt to spin it.

[bunnies]

1. The IDF has already denied that those shells are WP.

Despite the fact that they're American made and can be identified by the markings.

check it out: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/01/09


"Confronted with the latest evidence, an IDF spokeswoman insisted that the M825A1 shell was not a WP type. "This is what we call a quiet shell - it is empty, it has no explosives and no white phosphorus. There is nothing inside it," she said."

[Barack_America]

3. Weak.

I suppose that it's our fault for putting white phosphorus in the weapons? Despite the shells being marked as such in Hebrew, Israel had *no* idea that WP was in them? Please.

In any case, check out this Haaretz article about the so-called Hamas WP rocket. Note how they make a point to state that use of WP is in accordance with international law. If Israel weren't using WP, would they say such a thing? Of course not, it would be "evil Hamas launches chemical weapons at Israel".

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1055561.html

The smoke screen about weapons used to create smoke screens is hilarious.

[bunnies]

4. omg. What a joke.

They've lied themselves in circles over these WP shells. Suddenly Hamas has them? :rofl: Puhleeze.

[flobee1]

2. They even use the Bush excuse

Because Hamas is doing it-we can too!


I've had enough