The following is taken from the centrist Israeli daily, Ha'aretz. It clearly states that the Israeli defence force (IDF) are using weapons whose "use is curtailed". This follows last weeks report by Christian Aid which found that malnutrition levels in the territories illegally occupied by Israel are as bad as those in Zimbabwe, and that they were a consequence of the occupation.

Our glorious leaders insist that Saddam Hussein is Hitler and Robert Mugabe is the next worse thing.

Well, we backed Saddam at the height of his atrocities, and there's no call for the government officials and businessmen who helped him to be tried as accomplices in his undoubted crimes.

And compared to Israel's government, Robert Mugabe is minor league.




Tuesday, February 04, 2003 Adar1 2, 5763

The IDF confirmed Sunday that it had fired outlawed Flachette tank shells on Friday at a group of three Palestinians thought to have been trying to launch Kassam rockets west of the Jabalya refugee camp, in the Gaza Strip. The IDF claimed that the shells were fired at an open area rather than at a residential area, and went on to say that the soldiers reported that three individuals had been hit.

According to Palestinian witnesses, nine individuals were hurt in the shelling, three of whom were children playing soccer. The sources said that what the IDF perceived to be rocket launchers were actually moveable goalposts.

Palestinians said that of the nine peole hurt, three were in moderate to serious condition, while six were lightly wounded by the Flachette shells, which scatter thousands of pieces of metal after being fired and whose use is curtailed under international treaties.

The Flachette shells were originally used in southern Lebanon during Israel's occupation. They were seen as an efficient means of battle that allowed a wide area to be covered by IDF fire against Hezbollah units that moved around in open areas outside the villages.

In the Gaza Strip, however, the situation is more complicated, and conventional arms can be fired more accurately than the Flachette shells.

Controversy in Israel over the use of Flachette shells began after three Palestinian women were mistakenly killed in June 2001 when a Flachette shell was fired on the Gaza encampment in which the women lived.

In another incident, eight Palestinians were killed and more than 50 wounded in October 2002 by Flachette shells in the Gaza refugee camp of Rafah refugee camp.

 http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=258750&contrassID=1&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

 http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/indepth/0301isra/losing.htm