Photo from Times UK
A friend who used to be in the military sent me this photo of cluster munitions, fired by Israel, into urban Gaza. They’re using DPICMs, which are the artillery version of cluster bombs. In a densely populated urban area, Israel is using weapons that are incapable of distinguishing between combatants and non-combatants.
I’ve generally avoided writing about Israel over my years blogging, in part because of how contentious a subject matter it is online. I’ve found that the current fighting in Gaza has brought out similar divides – with either Israel being an unparalleled evil or Palestinians being unrepentant terrorists. But in seeing the Israeli government using cluster munitions against urban populations, knowing full well that they cannot do anything other hit harm innocent people, I’m at a breaking point. This is beyond unacceptable and it’s horrifying that there is not political will in the American governing class to condemn what are unquestionably war crimes by Israel.
Update:
It now appears that the cluster busters pictured above are not DPICMs, but rather white phosphorus. This is equally appalling as the use of cluster munitions, as when used in the context above – an air burst, not a marker – it still burns indiscriminately. These are not weapons that are “smart”. They are being used against a civilian population. From the Times UK:
The Geneva Treaty of 1980 stipulates that white phosphorus should not be used as a weapon of war in civilian areas, but there is no blanket ban under international law on its use as a smokescreen or for illumination. However, Charles Heyman, a military expert and former major in the British Army, said: “If white phosphorus was deliberately fired at a crowd of people someone would end up in The Hague. White phosphorus is also a terror weapon. The descending blobs of phosphorus will burn when in contact with skin.”
Apologies for the mis-identification of the photo above as DPICMs. But I now have confirmation from two former artillery soldiers that this is in fact white phosphorus. That said, there are still reports that Israel is using cluster bombs in Gaza separate from what the Times documented in this photograph.
Very Late Update:
In the comments Conor Eaton-Smith points out an AP story where the Red Cross states that they do not think Israel’s use of white phosphorous in Gaza is illegal.
The international Red Cross said Tuesday that Israel has fired white phosphorus shells in its offensive in the Gaza Strip, but has no evidence to suggest it is being used improperly or illegally.
The comments came after a human rights organization accused the Jewish state of using the incendiary agent, which ignites when it strikes the skin and burns straight through or until it is cut off from oxygen. It can cause horrific injuries.
The International Committee of the Red Cross urged Israel to exercise “extreme caution” in using the incendiary agent, which is used to illuminate targets at night or create a smoke screen for day attacks, said Peter Herby, the head of the organization’s mines-arms unit.
“In some of the strikes in Gaza it’s pretty clear that phosphorus was used,” Herby told The Associated Press. “But it’s not very unusual to use phosphorus to create smoke or illuminate a target. We have no evidence to suggest it’s being used in any other way.”
Glad to see that the concern raised above regarding the specific use of white phosophorous or cluster munitions on civilian populations was in the end not warranted.
It certainly is reassuring to know that the 900+ Palestinians killed during Israel’s offensive (13 Israelis have also died) were killed by lawful weapons in lawful ways.
Hold Fast 
So what it’s not illegal and Israel doesn’t specifically target civilians, you prefer they use conventional artillery shells..?
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Actually it is illegal to use white phosphorous as a weapon and it is illegal to use cluster munitions on non-combatants.
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Its illegal to use WP as a weapon against civilians (obviously) and as a weapon (in general) in civilian areas. It is not illegal to use WP as a weapon against military targets not in civilian areas. As it is classed as a incendiary weapon as WP does not rely on its toxic properties.
WP is also legal to used to create smoke screens, the exact purpose which it is being used for in the pictures (also the smoke seems to be in the fields surrounding the urban areas).
Secondly I have to say “A friend who used to be in the military sent me this photo of cluster munitions, fired by Israel, into urban Gaza. They’re using DPICMs, which are the artillery version of cluster bombs”.
It’s clearly not DPICM and the slightest bit of research should have cleared this up. But why bother when you are;
“I’m at a breaking point. This is beyond unacceptable and it’s horrifying that there is not political will in the American governing class to condemn what are unquestionably war crimes by Israel.”
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Conor —
As you can clearly see, I updated the post to reflect information received from other sources with artillery background in the US military. I then linked to press accounts that report of the use of cluster munitions in urban Gaza. And since the use of WP is taking place in civilian areas, I’m not sure how your first paragraph applies.
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As I can clearly see, your post was wrong from the get go. What I find is that you’ve formed such an opinion based on nothing more than a picture and what ‘a friend who used to be in the military’ told you. It seems that you didn’t go very far to verify your source. How long did it take you to realise that the photos looked nothing like Cluster Muntions?
As for you’re not sure how the first paragraph applies? I will explain further.
“Its illegal to use WP as a weapon against civilians (obviously) and as a weapon (in general) in civilian areas.”
I think its a good rule of thumb that civilians can not be ‘targeted’ as per Article 52 additional to Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions. Furthermore to this it is illegal to use White Phosphorous as a WEAPON (as in something deliberately applied for the primary purpose of killing/Harming/Destroying life or property) in Civilian Areas as is any incendiary weapon in Civilian areas as per the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.
WP is also not covered (probably specificallly) by the Chemical Weapons Convention, as does not use its ‘toxic’ properties to kill or maim.
Therefore your orginal assertion that WP is illegal to use as a weapon is false. As mentioned above, it is illegal to use on civilians (No Brainer) and like all incendiary weapons (i.e. those which are intended to be incendiary, smoke grenades do not count), it is illegal to use in Civilian areas as a weapon.
Note – as a WEAPON.
There is no restriction on the use of WP to create smoke or for illumination purposes. Which the above photo clearly shows. Especially with the WP shells airburst over realtively unoocupied open fields (note the smoke locations).
The IRC has stated that there is no evidence that there is no evidence that Israel is using WP illegally or improperly.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RED_CROSS_WHITE_PHOSPHORUS?SITE=ORBEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
So I’m curious, do you still hold the same opinion?
Incidently, whilst there might be reports of cluster munitions being used in the Gaza strip, do you ever think these ‘reports’ have done one of the following.
A) Like you, seen an airbursting WP shell picture (or video) and naturally thought it was a Cluster Munition.
B) Reference blogs which have actually done A?
C) Actually seen Cluster Munition use?
I think its unlikely to be C), mainly because there’s no footage – at all – of CM use. There are no actual verifiable reports of CM report use which doesn’t link back to a photo like that on this thread. Not forgetting that Cluster Munitions in general aren’t very good in Urban areas (totally unsuited IMO), and would pose advancing Israeli forces with added complications with regards to UXO.
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Yes, that’s the whole point – cluster munitions are not suitable for urban use.
That said, thank you for sharing the link to the AP story. I had not seen it and will update the post with that link and a quote clarifying that what Israel has done with WP is not illegal.
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