Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Israeli use of phosphorus 'a crime'

Israeli use of phosphorus 'a crime'
White phosphorus was found to be used in residential areas during the Gaza 
offensive [Reuters]
A report by an international rights group has said that Israel's use of 
white phosphorus during its recent offensive on the Gaza Strip is evidence 
of war crimes.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday that the munitions were fired 
indiscriminately and over densely populated areas during the 23-day war, 
leading to many casualties.
"In Gaza, the Israeli military didn't just use white phosphorus in open 
areas as a screen for its troops," Fred Abrahams, senior emergencies 
researcher at HRW and co-author of the report, said.
"It fired white phosphorus repeatedly over densely populated areas, even 
when its troops weren't in the area and safer smoke shells were available. 
As a result, civilians needlessly suffered and died."
'Senior approval'
The report said that senior commanders must have approved what they saw as a 
pattern or policy in white phosphorus use.
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HRW has called for Israeli senior commanders to be held to account and for 
an international investigation to take place, since an Israeli Defence Force 
(IDF) inquiry is likely to be neither "thorough" nor "impartial".
The 71-page report documents evidence of spent shells and white phosphorus 
found in residential areas, city streets, a hospital and a UN school.
It follows reports by Amnesty International, the international rights group, 
and the UN alleging the improper use of white phosphorus by Israel.
Armies typically use the munition to obscure their operations on the ground 
via the thick smoke created. It can also be used to set targets alight.
The munitions are legal in open areas, but illegal when used unnecessarily 
and in civilian areas.
'Truely terrible'
Talking to Al Jazeera Abrahams said: "This is our first report of a series 
in Gaza, because what we saw was truly terrible."
"I've covered five wars and for me personally it was a traumatic experience 
to go to Gaza," Abrahams said.
"Israel repeatedly used [white phosphorus] in densely populated areas, such 
as downtown Gaza City," he said.
'It is a thoroughly inappropriate way to use this munition. It spreads 116 
burning wafers of white phosphorus down in an area of up to 200 metres.
Abrahams said that Israel's past use of the munitions in the 2006 Lebanon 
war and repeated warnings of the proximity of their shelling to populations 
meant they knew the danger they were subjecting Palestinians to.
"So to us this indicates a pattern, a policy. Investigations of small fish, 
low level soldiers, is not enough," Abrahams said.
"We believe top level commanders should be investigated and where there's 
evidence they should be held accountable."
Abrahams called on either the UN Security Council or Ban Ki-Moon, the UN 
secretary general, appoint an international investigation that looks at all 
abuses in the war not just attacks on UN locations.
Location critical
Chris Cobb-Smith, a security consultant who co-authored a report with 
Amnesty International on the munitions' use, said that the important point 
was not the employment of the weapon, but where it was used.
"An important thing to remember about white phosphorus is that it is not an 
illegal weapons system. It is perfectly legal, but it must be used in the 
right way," Cobb-Smith told Al Jazeera.
"It is illegal to fire at humans. It is even illegal to fire this weapons 
system at enemy troops.
"It is purely an obscurant. It is purely to provide a smoke screen for 
soldiers on the battlefield.
"But there is absolutely no military tactical reason to use white phosphorus 
in a built up area. It can provide no use whatsoever.
"It was used at a time before the IDF actually commenced their ground 
offensive into Gaza itself. They were miles away from Gaza City when they 
first used this weapons system."
Israel originally denied using the munitions during its war on the Gaza 
Strip which began on December 27 last year, but later said it would hold an 
internal investigation into its improper use.
 Source: 	Al Jazeera and agencies
 

 of war crimes.
Peccato che HRW non abbia alcuna autorita' a livello di diritto 
internazionale :)
E simili sparate mostrano solo che razza di *COGLIONI* formino simili ONG.
-Stefano