a part of the article from Israel Matzav
Two phosphorus shells that were fired from Gaza into the Eshkol regional council early on Sunday morning contained internationally banned phosphorus.
Please click over to IsraelMatzav where they explain the crucial difference between the legal, and illegal use of white phosphorus in conflict.
I have heard the accusation leveled against Israel for using white phosphorus in Cast Lead, and like a broken record I must remind the accuser that it’s used to SAVE LIVES in urban warfare by creating smokescreens. Unfortunately this concept is beyond the comprehension of those who don’t understand the concept of intent.
Such willful ignorance of intent results in Goldstone Reports, UN condemnations, flotillas, and all other complete insanities, all the way up to wars and genocides.
Palis use phosphoric shells? Will the UN condemn it? Snooze.
I would like to echo what Dallas wrote above: the use of phosphorus containing munitions is not per se illegal, but any illegality arises from their employment on the battlefield. Permissible uses include such munitions for illumination, target marking, and smoke screens. Many leftist comentators claimed that the use of phosphorus-containing munitions by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in operation Cast Lead was illegal but even the International Committee of the Red Cross could not persuaded to condemn their permissible uses by the IDF. The vast majority of phosphorus munitions deployed in Cast Lead we’re base-ejection smoke rounds with a tiny number of mortar rounds that would be similar to those just fired into Israel. In discussing the permissible uses of such munitions, you should keep in mind that regardless of any finding as to their permissible usage in this recent case, the persons who fired these are most unlikely to ever be held accountable as they seem to ignore the laws of warfare whenever it suits them.
Thus even were you to find agreement for the premise that these mortar shells containing phosphorus are illegal, you will find that this will not only have no effect on their use by Hamas (or whatever proxy they claim is responsible). It would probably encumber the IDF untowardly as a side effect in limiting the most effective munitions for protecting IDF tanks from guided anti-tank missiles. It would also provide a retrospective justification for claims that the IDF acted improperly in Cast Lead .
My opinion is that not too much should be made of this, rather the emphasis should be on the criticism at every opportunity of the illegal firing of mortars and rockets into Israel, and the failure of the Gaza combatants to adhere to the rules of warfare.
I cannot see how anyone could make a case that the phosphorus mortar shells: a) provided illumination, b) target marking, or, c) a useful smoke screen (from just two mortar bombs). Hence it is almost certain that their firing constitutes a war crime, but I would suggest that firing of them should be a war crime, regardless of their contents. Making a war crime a bit worse is still not going to stop them being fired though.
Bill#2
Eh, big deal. Used extensively in Fallujah campaign by U.S., etc etc… Burns you alive and leaves your clothes intact!
As has been stated by others it all depends on intent, a concept the left will refuse to learn when they want to vilify someone or some group. They understand it totally when it is applied to their actions, the actions of the left is going to result in the destruction of the Geneva Convention since they insist that the west has to apply all restrictions while the enemies of the west have to apply none.