Blind and burnt: Mahmoud, 14, young victim of banned white phosphorus shelling

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Israel's three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip may be over but Mahmoud Mattar, 14, will not be able to sense the quiet that has descended on his home town of Jabalya.

Blinded in both eyes, with third-degree burns over much of his torso, Mahmoud lies unconscious in the Sheikh Zayid Hospital on the outskirts of Cairo. He has said little since January 6, when an Israeli attack on his village in northern Gaza left him nearly dead on the street outside his mosque. Doctors say that he will never see again — and that the burns on his body were caused by white phosphorus, a controversial incendiary weapon that Israel originally denied using.

"He was walking to the mosque when the attack started," his uncle, Nahad Mattar, said. “Two of his friends who were walking with him were killed instantly. Their bodies are in pieces. He was hit by something and his body began to burn.

"There were bits of blood and skin all over him. We couldn't tell what was his and what was other people."

Witnesses in Jabalya describe thesigns of white phosphorus shelling — thick white smoke, a strong smell and fires that burn until covered with sand — and say that dozens more experienced burns in the same attack."

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[Scurrilous]

1. Gaza film shows white phosphorus from alleged Israeli attack

Palestinians try to put out burning chemical banned as a weapon under United Nations convention

<snip>

"The Guardian has obtained vivid footage of the effect of white phosphorus allegedly used by Israel during a bomb attack on Gaza last week.

The film was made by Fida Qishta, a camerawoman working for the International Solidarity Movement, a non-governmental organisation operating in Gaza. It was shot on Wednesday 14 January in Khoza'a, east of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip.

It shows clumps of the burning chemical on the ground as locals try to put it out by covering it with dust, mud and grass. The chemical, which locals describe as phosphorus, fails to go out and continues to burn through the debris piled upon it. As they kick it about, it subdivides into smaller lumps and continues to burn.

The use of white phosphorus as a weapon – as opposed to its use as an obscurant and infrared blocking smoke screen – is banned by the United Nation's third convention on conventional weapons, which covers the use of incendiary devices. Though Israel is not a signatory to the convention, its military manuals reflect the restrictions on its use in that convention.

A second film reveals the impact of the white phosphorus on the human body. A 15-year-old boy is shown in a Gaza hospital receiving treatment for burns to his back and right arm which a doctor explains were caused by the chemical, which appears to have eaten into his flesh in several places."

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(videos at link)

[Duckhunter935]

2. Unfortunantly it is not banned

It can be used for smoke and that is what it was used for even thought the Israelis will not confirm its use. It cannot be used against personnel but it was not directed at a person. It was directed at an area target. It is just a shame people were in that area.

[EFerrari]

7. No, it's not a "shame". It's murder.

[Duckhunter935]

3. Hamas launches first phosphorus rocket at Negev

Palestinian militants fired a phosphorus rocket at Israel for the first time yesterday, one of 17 fired into Israel as fighting entered its 19th day. The phosphorus rocket exploded in an open field in the western Negev. No injuries or damage were reported.

Just a matter of time

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1055561.html

[azurnoir]

9. That POS was floated last week

if it were true the Israeli government would be shreiking and pounding its chest and it would not he withdrawing from Gaza not to mention total lack of evidence little things like residue ect, But do keep trying I know the IDF withdrawal must be so frustrating for some.

[Idealism]

10. That is a false report or it would be all over the news by now

Considering only Haaretz (maybe JPost as well) reported this, and the Israeli government made no mention of it, I would consider this complete fabrication (sort of like Iraq having WMDs...)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. Building a WP Qassam would be quite hard

then again it might be a silver bullet so to speak.

[Recursion]

13. Way too expensive and unstable

They would get the same effect making napalm for about 1/1000th the price and risk to the bombmakers.

[leftchick]

18. um yeah right

did General Dynamics give them free of charge like Israel gets them?

[Recursion]

4. In what sense is WP "banned"?

[Duckhunter935]

5. I think this what they meant,used as an obscurant is NOT banned

The use of white phosphorus as a weapon – as opposed to its use as an obscurant and infrared blocking smoke screen – is banned by the United Nation's third convention on conventional weapons, which covers the use of incendiary devices.

[Recursion]

6. A convention to which neither Israel nor Hamas is a party

If I am not mistaken.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. Not sure about that either, but Israel claims to adhere to it

[LeftishBrit]

15. I think this should be reconsidered; it should be banned altogether

Once you're in the thick of war, it's difficult to control where a device ends up. And the results can be very tragic, as we see here.

[sam sarrha]

8. even used as smoke.. its a deadly chemical weapon causing kidney/liver damage

[Scurrilous]

14. Gaza family returns home after phosphorus blast

<snip>

"The Abu Halima siblings returned to their home as an edgy cease-fire settled on Gaza, hoping to salvage what belongings weren't burnt and to gather their father's body parts for burial.

Of the 14 family members who huddled in the house on Jan. 3 when Israeli forces entered this farming area in northern Gaza, five have died, two were in a coma and three were seriously wounded.

All were victims of a single white phosphorus shell dropped on their home, survivors and doctors said.

"It's been two weeks and it's still burning," said Mahmoud Abu Halima, 20, picking up a bit of phosphorus shrapnel in the hallway. He rubbed the brownish fragment against the floor and it gave off an eery green glow followed by acrid smoke that sent everyone coughing."

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[Tripmann]

16. You cannot fire white phosphorous into....

..the most densely populated place on earth and claim to be doing your best to avoid civilian casualties.

[Sezu]

17. Nor can you do so and get

ONE iffy report of the effect of said action. Grow a brain.

[Tripmann]

19. Manners please...

...don't be like the rest of the little wannabe attack dogs here that embarrass themselves by insulting first and discusing later. Besides, On the day that Obama has been sworn in you should be nicer to a fellow democrat.

While I was growing a brain 30+ years ago I also grew eyes to adsorb information to be processed by aforementioned brain. There has been reports for the last 2 weeks of WP usage by the IDF. This 1 report relates to 1 persons case. The UN staff, european doctors as well as palestinian personnel claim its usage and israel itself is only saying that their use of it was not illegal. Also, spent WP munitions casings have been found.

So, please, a reasoned response.....