Police: Terrorists fired phosphorus shells into Israel

[azurnoir]

Two phosphorous mortars were fired at southern Israel from Gaza on Wednesday, Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told The Jerusalem Post.

"A police bomb disposal team examined a number of mortars that were fired today. We can confirm that two out of the nine mortars contained phosphorous," Rosenfeld added.

Israel Police said it was not the first time that phosphorous shells had been fired at Israel from Gaza.

Haim Yalin, head of the Eshkol Regional Council where the phosphorous mortars landed, reacted sharply to the news of the phosphorus mortar attacks. "These weapons have been banned by the Geneva convention. They cause burns among victims and they kill. This is an agricultural area, and we now have to explain to farmers how to deal with burns in light of the phosphorus mortars," he told the Post.

Yalin added that firefighters and paramedics operating in his area would now have prepare for further phosphorous shells. "We are preparing to go back to the situation that we faced before Operation Cast Lead, when we faced continuous mortar, rocket and sniper attacks," he said. On Thursday, Yalin will send a letter to the United Nations to alert the international body of the weapons being directed from Gaza against the civilians who reside in his regional council.

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=188206

[aquart]

1. Oh, fair's fair.

Israel was using that fun stuff in Gaza. Only, of course, Israel was BAD and WRONG and Hamas is completely correct and fully justified.

It's important to see that distinction.

[luvspeas]

2. If they did, they probably got them from us...

shock and awe was one gigantic phosphorus fest. And yes, they are banned by the Geneva convention and the US does not care.

[arcane1]

3. Apparently it's ok if we do it :(

[CJvR]

4. IIRC...

They are not actually banned. They are allowed for laying smoke so as long as you dont deliberatly use them as incendiary weapons they are legal.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Actually WP is only nanned for some purposes

[whosinpower]

5. Come on - two wrongs will not make a right

I remain utterly appalled, but not surprised that Hamas/militants are trying so hard to derail talks that would skewer their cause.

White phosphorous was wrong when the israeli's used it at that hospital.....
and it is just as wrong when Hamas tosses it.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Does anybody question that this had to have been supported/allowed by Hamas

who has been growing more bellicose the longer peace talks go on with the PA?

[hayu_lol]

8. WP shells are probably all on sale...

from the world's arms dealers.

[CJvR]

9. Probably.

But there are likely plenty of duds around in Gaza for salvage and reuse.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. They require special handling and an EUC

Pretty much Government only stuff

[azurnoir]

10. ahem same story from Haaretz

Two phosphorous mortars hit Israel as tensions rise

In an escalation of tensions on Wednesday, militants fired two phosphorous mortar shells into Israel from the Gaza Strip. A total of nine mortar shells were fired on Wednesday, all falling in fields in the Eshkol Regional Council, causing no casualties or damage.

Israel responded by sending jets to bomb a smuggling tunnel in the Philadelphi Route. Palestinian sources said one person was killed and two injured in the attack.

Police sappers and the Israel Defense Forces said that even though the mortars contained phosphorus they were no more harmful than regular mortar shells.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/two-phosphorous-mortars-hit-israel-as-tensions-rise-1.314057

nowhere in the JPost story did it say white phosphorous was used in the shells and if the shells were home made which they most likely were then the common explosive used in those shells is fertilizer which contains wait for it - phosphorous something I was aware of when I posted this piece

[CJvR]

11. Thought...

...WP was the normally used type in weapons. Still it might be some ungodly Gazan home brew.

[azurnoir]

12. Perhaos you should "rethink" WP is not normally used

in the type of crude homemade weapons used in Gaza it is a different from phosphorous in that it is a highly refined form

also these claims have been made before

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=247070

Hamas's Alleged Use of White Phosphorus

On January 14, Israeli police claimed that Hamas had fired a single mortar shell with white phosphorus from Gaza into Israel. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the shell had landed in a field near Sderot that morning, causing no injuries or damage.<9> Haaretz newspaper reported that it hit an open field in the Eshkol area in the western Negev.<10>

A Human Rights Watch researcher went to Sderot the next day to investigate, but local authorities said they were unaware of the attack. One Sderot resident said he had heard about a mortar shell, possibly with white phosphorus, landing in a field outside of town, but he did not know where. When asked for details, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Human Rights Watch that "all I have is what's in the press release."<11>

http://www.hrw.org/en/node/81726/section/4