UPDATED ON:
Sunday, January 11, 2009
21:27 Mecca time, 18:27 GMT
News Middle East
Gazans fear Israel using phosphorus
Human Rights Watch said it was clear Israel had fired shells containing white
phopshorus[GALLO/GETTY]
Doctors in Gaza City have told Al Jazeera that people have been admitted
suffering burns consistent with the use of the controversial chemical white
phosphorus.
Human rights campaigners say that Israeli forces have used the munition, which
can burn away human flesh to the bone, over Gaza City and Jabaliya in recent
days.
Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from the Shifa hospital in Gaza City,
said: "Doctors here say they are seeing unprecedented levels of deep burns.
"They cannot categorically say that white phosphorus is being used, they are
saying that the munitions being dropped are unprecendented."
Residents in densely-packed Jabaliya have described Israeli forces exploding
shells that drop scores of burning fragments and spread suffocating smoke.
"Its the first time we see this type of weapon, it must be new and its seems
like its phosphorous," one resident told Al Jazeera.
"Its suffocating and has a deadly poisonous smell that I am sure will cause a
lot of sickness and disease on all of the civilians here," he said.
Another witness said she saw "... a bright flash and then all of these sparks
fell on our area ... landing all around us and in our homes. Our mattresses
caught on fire".
Law 'violated'
The use of the munition in densely-populated areas violates the requirement
under international humanitarian law for all feasible precautions to be taken
to avoid civilian injury and loss of life, Human Rights Watch said.
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International law permits the use of white phosphorus in order to cover troop
movements and prevent enemies from using certain guided weapons.
Marc Garlasco, a senior military analyst at the human rights group told Al
Jazeera on Saturday that he had watched Israeli ground forces using white
phosphorus.
"Clearly it is [white phosphorus], we can tell by the explosions and the
tendrils that go down [and] the fires that were burning," he said.
"Today there were massive attacks in Jabaliya when we were there. We saw that
there were numerous fires once the white phosphorus had gone in.
"We went by Israeli artillery units that had white phosphorus rounds with the
fuses in them."
Major Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, told Al Jazeera that
the Israeli army was "using munitions with accordance to international law".
"The policy of the IDF [Israeli Defence Force] is to not specify the types of
munition, we have not done it before and we will not do it now."
Mark Regev, the Israeli government spokesman, said he was unable to confirm or
deny whether the military was using the chemical, but that Israel did not use
munitions that were banned under international law.
"I don't have the knowledge of the detail of what ammunition we are using. I
can only know for a fact that Israel uses no ammunition that is outlawed under
conventions and that Nato forces would not use in a similar combat situation,"
he told Al Jazeera.
Israel used white phophorus during its 34-day war against Lebanon's Hezbollah
movement in 2006, while the United States used it during the controversial
siege of the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 7
sabiha khan
Kenya 11/01/2009
are we not human?????
it is so sad to see poor little children and innocent civilians of gaza dying.i
mean what have the little children done to deserve such painfull deaths,to see
their own parents dying infront of them,to see their very own siblings dying.no
human has the right to kill another human.to all those killing innocent people
just remember God i watching you.
paul stevens
United States 11/01/2009
Phosphorus
Hamas now wants rules of engagement? Sounds to me they kinda wish they had
followed the rules all along . Maybe Iran should take a real good look at what
is going on. They are next. One thing on Iran's side is they have an educated
population of people that will get rid of the nut job ruining they're country.
Naim
United Kingdom 11/01/2009
Israel Uses Phosporous
Murderers! purely and simply , thats what isaraelis are. Israel cowardly using
chemical warfare, when they know they cannot defeat the spirit of conviction of
the hamas and palestinian people.
Robert
Netherlands Antilles 11/01/2009
Damage
There is a HUGE difference between the use of phosphorus against terrorists and
Grads loaded with nails and bearing balls to maim innocent children
faisa
United Kingdom 11/01/2009
phosphorus
why do the un just watch this cruelty they know what damage it causes they
should be ashamed of them selves i would give up my life to save my brothers
and sister
Anna Shane
United States 11/01/2009
Phosphorus ...
I share in this shame, the US did the same thing, where is Princess Di when we
need her. This needs to be addressed by an enormous public outcry. I think they
use these weapons to 'blind' snipers, and save individual soldiers. That should
have been yet one more reason to refrain from waging war an an already
'defeated' people.
ricardom2009
Canada 11/01/2009
Gaza conflict
The conflict in Gaza is not about who is right or who is wrong, just or unjust,
good or evil. It is not a conflict between equals. It is a conflict between the
strong and the weak. The strong dominates and takes what it wants and the weak
either yields or gets destroyed. It has always been, is and will be this way:
the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. Between the
strong and the weak, might is right. Who is just or unjust, good or evil only
apply between equals.
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Jusfiq Hadjar gelar Sutan Maradjo Lelo
Allah yang disembah orang Islam tipikal dan yang digambarkan oleh al-Mushaf itu
dungu, buas, kejam, keji, ganas, zalim lagi biadab hanyalah Allah fiktif.
