Phosphorus Shells: Security Expert Suspects Israel Using Controversial Tactic; Military Denies It

Timesonline.co.uk:

Israel is believed to be using controversial white phosphorus shells to screen its assault on the heavily populated Gaza Strip yesterday. The weapon, used by British and US forces in Iraq, can cause horrific burns but is not illegal if used as a smokescreen.

As the Israeli army stormed to the edges of Gaza City and the Palestinian death toll topped 500, the tell-tale shells could be seen spreading tentacles of thick white smoke to cover the troops' advance. "These explosions are fantastic looking, and produce a great deal of smoke that blinds the enemy so that our forces can move in," said one Israeli security expert. Burning blobs of phosphorus would cause severe injuries to anyone caught beneath them and force would-be snipers or operators of remote-controlled booby traps to take cover. Israel admitted using white phosphorus during its 2006 war with Lebanon.

Read the whole story: Timesonline.co.uk

Comments

[cinemaven]

04:03 PM on 01/05/2009

Israel is on record as having denied using Phosphorus bombs in Lebanon. Prior to late Oct. 2006, they vehemently denied it and then, when proof of the damage, deaths, horrific burning injuries were too well documented to continue denying it, they admitted to it and said it was only used for cover. ....

[MideastDove]

02:16 PM on 01/05/2009

Israel could make more progress if they bombed the people with food, water, medicine, education, respect, freedom, etc. etc.
Happy people have no reason to fight.

[cinemaven]

03:50 PM on 01/05/2009

A sad truth that every nation should pay more attention to.

[SERGIOUK]

02:08 PM on 01/05/2009

Unconventional weapons and more are being used

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=80685§ionid=3510302

[rasit]

02:01 PM on 01/05/2009

Use of phosphorous shells doen't sound like precision-targetting...

[GingerB]

11:27 AM on 01/05/2009

C H E M I C A L - W A R F A R E ! W M D !

[Name Not In Use]

09:32 AM on 01/05/2009

"Military Denies It"

Don't you believe them?

[gakabani]

08:55 AM on 01/05/2009

AL Jazeera corroborated the use of cluster bombs and the sort in the concentration camp of Gaza.

[OutsiderSA]

07:11 AM on 01/05/2009

Napalm lite

[Carolab]

04:04 AM on 01/05/2009

I hope not.

[swift goat pet for truth]

03:35 AM on 01/05/2009

Of course they deny it.

Has nothing to do with reality.

[111]

01:05 AM on 01/05/2009

"Israel admitted using white phosphorus during its 2006 war with Lebanon." Yes, it was proven that Israel was using chemical weapons but nothing was ever done to punish them in any way. When Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons the US government condemned him. When Israel uses chemical weapons the US offers more support and money and the rest of the world remains quiet.

This is disgraceful and wrong on so many levels. When will this insanity stop? When Israel has eliminated all of the governments it decides has no right to exist on earth? When will the "leaders" of the world stop this rogue government in Israel? How can they continue to pretend it is okay for Israel to use these weapons and to have hundreds of hidden nuclear war heads? It is simply wrong to permit Israel to continue these actions.

[jrb35]

03:30 AM on 01/06/2009

Phosphorus is not a chemical weapon. There is not a single international convention that designates it as such. Its use is not banned by the Geneva Convention (or any other treaty) and is, in fact, permitted for use as illumination and smoke screens. Saddam used nerve gas (a chemical weapon) on the Kurds. BIG difference.

[militantlibrarian]

11:43 PM on 01/04/2009

Appalling but not surprising. Are they using cluster bombs yet?

[jake106]

09:07 AM on 01/05/2009

Also not proven or verified. It's like saying that Israel could be using nukes to knock out Gaza's electronics. It's possible.