1.2m cluster bombs hit Lebanon
2006-09-13 14:55
Jerusalem - Israel's army fired more than 1.2 million cluster bombs into Lebanon during the month-long conflict, the liberal Haaretz newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing a senior Israeli army officer.
The unnamed officer described his unit's use of the controversial bomblets during Israel's 34-day offensive against Hezbollah fighters as "crazy and monstrous".
"We covered entire villages with cluster bombs," the newspaper quoted the commander as saying.
More dropped from the air
The 1.2 million cluster bombs cited by the commander only included those fired by a multiple launch rocket system. Additional cluster bombs were fired by 155mm mortars or dropped from the air, he said.
There was no immediate comment on the report from the Israeli army.
Israeli officials have previously said its forces only used arms allowed by international law during the Lebanon offensive.
Phosphorous shells
Other soldiers cited in the article said the army fired phosphorous shells to start fires in Lebanon.
The International Red Cross says international law prohibits the use of phosphorous against humans.
Calls for ban on cluster bombs
Human rights organisations have long advocated a ban on cluster bombs because of their disproportionate and indiscriminate nature and because their high dud rate creates vast minefields.
In the first 15 days after the August 14 ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war, 52 Lebanese civilians were killed by unexploded cluster bombs, according to the United Nations.
UN chief Kofi Annan has condemned Israel's use of cluster bombs and the world body estimates that as much as 40% of the apple-sized bomblets fired into Lebanon failed to explode on impact.
- AFP