UPDATED ON:
Thursday, January 22, 2009
14:06 Mecca time, 11:06 GMT
News Middle East
UN releases Gaza attack photos
UN pictures show what appears to white phosphorus 'wedges' raining down on one
of its compounds in Gaza
The United Nations has released images of what it believes are white phosphorus
munitions raining down on one of its compounds during Israel's war on Gaza.
The pictures, broadcast by Al Jazeera on Thursday, show what appears to be
flame-generating munitons, thought to be white phosphorus "wedges", falling
into a UN compound in Gaza where hundreds of people were sheltering.
Two Palestinian boys, aged five and seven, were killed in the attack on January
17.
Israel has said it will investigate the issue, but has not publicly
acknowledged using the controversial chemical.
Al Jazeera has learnt that a total of 53 installations used by the United
Nations Relief and Works agency, Unrwa, were damaged or destroyed during
Israel's Gaza campaign including 37 schools - six of which are being used as
emergency shelters - six health centres, and two warehouses.
White phosphorus - a high-incendiary substance that burns brightly and for long
periods on contact with the air - is often used to produce smoke screens.
But it can also be used as a weapon producing extreme burns when it makes
contact with human skin.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has reported a brigade of paratroop reservists
fired about 20 white phosphorus shells into the built-up area of Beit Lahiya on
January 17, which landed in the UN-run compound where the two Palestinian
children were killed and severe burns were inflicted on 14 other people.
Amnesty International, the London-based rights group, has accused Israel of war
crimes over its use of the munitions in heavily populated areas.
Children killed
International law forbids white phosphorus use against military targets within
areas where civilians are concentrated, except when the targets are clearly
separated and "all feasible precautions" are taken to avoid casualties among
non-combatants.
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If the claims are proved, Israel's use of the chemical could form the basis of
war crimes charges.
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, on Wednesday repeated his demand for a
full explanation of Israel's attacks on UN facilities in the Gaza Strip.
With the UN secretary general unable to speak due to a sore throat, Lynn
Pascoe, the UN under secretary-general for political affairs, read out a
statement on his behalf saying Ban wanted "a thorough investigation by Israel
into every single one of these incidents".
The attacks, which Ban described as "outrageous", included strikes on a
compound of the UN agency providing aid for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) and on
a UN school last week during Israel's three-week war on Gaza.
"I expect a full explanation of each incident and that those responsible will
be held accountable for their actions," the statement quoted Ban as saying.
Deadly weapons
The Israeli military has also been accused of using Dense Inert Metal Explosive
(Dime) weapons in urban areas, causing horrific abdominal and leg injuries.
When detonated, a Dime device expels a blade of charged tungsten dust that
burns and destroys everything within a four-metre radius.
Israel has been criticised by human rights groups and foreign officials over
its suspected use of a number of weapons during its aerial, naval and ground
assault on the Palestinian territory in which over 1,300 Palestinians were
killed.
The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday it will
open an investigation into whether Israel used depleted uranium, which is added
to munitions as its density allows them to penetrate armour more easily, during
the conflict.
It is thought that the dust left at blast sites after the weapons have hit also
pose a health risk, but a definitive link has not yet been proven.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
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