Additional Dramatic Findings about the War in Lebanon

The 34-day military campaign conducted by the Israeli military in Lebanon during the summer against Hezbollah has proved it still does have more secrets to hide with regard to the military conduct of both parties during that period of time. In the latest series of discoveries and "explosive" comments upon such a matter, Israeli government officials have recently admitted to the army's use of phosphorous bombs in Lebanon.

According to Israeli newspaper's Haaretz's Sunday edition, Cabinet Minister Jacob Erdery admitted before the Knesset last week that the army had indeed employed such type of military arsenal during its July and August war against the Hezbollah troops, in order to strike what he labeled as "military targets".

"The Israeli army holds phosphorous munitions in different forms. The Israeli army made use of phosphorous shells during the war against Hezbollah in attacks against military targets in open ground", Erdery stated on behalf of Amir Peretz, the Israeli Defense Minister. However, he did not provide any details with regard to the use of such weapons in urban areas. On the other hand, he did highlight that their use was performed "according to the international law".

This represents quite a shift in the rhetoric displayed by the Israeli officials so far, given that they had previously declared that these shells were only used to mark the respective targets. This, in turn, triggered a wave of rumors the Israeli part was providing erroneous information with regard to its employment of the phosphorous bombs, given that Palestinian doctors, who had treated hundreds of the war victims, contradicted them by saying they had tended to people who had displayed fatal chemical wounds.

In addition to this, the Lebanese President Emile Lahoud accused Israel of violating the Geneva Convention's provisions, according to which the use of white phosphorus shells is banned both against civilians as well as against military targets that are located in heavily-populated areas.