Israel is Accused of Using White Phosphorous Shells on UN Compound in Gaza
According to the The Times, Gaza doctors found what appears to be white phosphorous residue on a spent Israeli shell casing that was fired on January 9. In addition, 16-year-old Gazan Abdul Rahman Shaer is a suspected victim of this white phosphorous shell; he suffered severe chemical burns on his face and body, and, as a result, had to be transferred to an Egyptian hospital for treatment. Doctors there say they are certain the boy's burns are due to phosphorous.
While The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will not comment on specific weaponry used in their military campaign against Hamas, they do note that any weapons used "fall within the scope of international law."
International law with respect to the use of white phosphorous is somewhat ambiguous. The Geneva Treaty of 1980 prohibits the use of white phosphorous as a weapon in civilian areas, but, as The Times notes, "there is no blanket ban under international law on its use as a smokescreen or for illumination."
Since the beginning of Israel's military campaign against the military wing of Hamas in Gaza, Israel's detractors have lambasted her for using excessive force and for putting innocent civilians in harm's way. Indeed, hundreds of Gazan civilians have already died as a result of Israel's punishing airstrikes, and more are sure to follow.
On the other hand, Israel's supporters claim that it has the right to defend itself against Hamas, an organization committed to Israel's destruction. Israel began the campaign to put an end to the barrage of rockets that Hamas has been indiscriminately firing into southern Israel for months now. Israel's supporters claim that it is Hamas that is responsible for the death of so many Gazan civilians. They note that Hamas purposely operates in densely populated areas to ensure civilian causalities. Images of carnage are used as a PR tool, they claim, and as a way to garner international support - and condemnation of Israel.
Sources:
Israel denies using bombs that cause deep burns, Matthew Calman, San Francisco Chronicle, January 14, 2009
Spent shells prove Israeli use of white phosphorous, Gaza doctors say, Sheera Frenkel, The Times, January 15, 2009
Published by Hartley Engel
I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada but raised in Los Angeles, California. I have a BA and MsEd degree from USC. View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentI'm late commenting, so I doubt any of the other commenters will see what I have to say. It seems to me the main problem in Israel & Palestine is a lack of willingness to understand what each side is going through, on the part of each side. I hope that makes sense. I would like to commend to everyone the written works of novelist David Grossman, a very patriotic Israeli who strives to remember and represent what the Palestinians are going through. It is a terribly complicated issue, which will not improve until each side is willing to accept the other's right to be present in that part of the world. I really appreciate this article.
Maybe it would help if you knew what the 8600 rockets fired into Israel by Hamas had on them. You, like the American Press seem to like to pick on people who have been under attack themselves. Its ok to beat on Israel, but let them respond and THEY are the damned! Typical liberal cowardice!
We do nothing wrong in our war. We are tiny nation fighting for our people to live. We will destroy anyone who threatens us, and we have good friends in America who support us everything we do. Palestinians, man, woman child are all animals and we will gas them if we were not jews.
Zevy from Sderot, Yisrael
The use of "white phosphorous" is legal under the laws of war. The use of indiscriminate missile and mortar attacks are war crimes. Who exactly has done what to whom? Who is committing war crimes and who is defending their civilian population from over 8,000 random missile and mortar attacks over the past 7 years?
The shells fired off in densely populated areas. How come only two people where hit by this cloudy stuff?