Press, Banned from War Zone, Reports Growing Evidence of Israel Using White Phosphorus

By Greg Mitchell

Published: January 15, 2009 1:45 PM ET

NEW YORK For several days, charges that Israel has been using white phosphorus in its Gaza bombing have spread, unconfirmed but gaining some credibility as some human rights groups have weighed in. But today the charges are reaching critical mass in the wake of the bombing of the main United Nations compound in Gaza City.

And newspapers are in the lead in reporting it -- despite the Israeli ban on reporters entering the war zone.

This just in from Reuters:

"A warehouse in a U.N. compound in Gaza that came under Israeli fire on Thursday was apparently hit by white-phosphorus shells, U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes said. 'The main warehouse was badly damaged by what appeared to be white-phosphorus shells,' Holmes told reporters at a news briefing in New York. 'Those on the ground don't have any doubt that's what they were. If you were looking for confirmation, that looks like it to me.'"

The Times of London reports today:

"The Israeli military has denied using white phosphorus shells in the Gaza offensive, although an investigation by The Times has revealed that dozens of Palestinians in Gaza have sustained serious injuries from the substance, which burns at extremely high temperatures. The Geneva Convention of 1980 proscribes the use of white phosphorus as a weapon of war in civilian areas, although it can be used to create a smokescreen. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said today that all weapons used in Gaza were 'within the scope of international law.'"

In fact, the International Red Cross has stated that Israel is certainly using it and Israel's response was a non-denial, a spokesman explaining that the military "wishes to reiterate that it uses weapons in compliance with international law, while strictly observing that they be used in accordance with the type of combat and its characteristics."

The use of white phosphorus as an illuminating device only is okayed by international law but such use is extremely risky and dangerous to civilians. The fires it sets cannot be put out with the usual water or fire extinguishers.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003931077

making sure it doesn't get reported.

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