Israel rains fire on Gaza with phosphorus shells
Israeli artillery shells explode with a chemical agent designed to create smokescreen for ground forces
Israel is believed to be using controversial white phosphorus shells to screen
its assault on the heavily populated Gaza Strip yesterday. The weapon, used
by British and US forces in Iraq, can cause horrific burns but is not
illegal if used as a smokescreen.
As the Israeli army stormed to the edges of Gaza City and the Palestinian
death toll topped 500, the tell-tale shells could be seen spreading
tentacles of thick white smoke to cover the troops’ advance. “These
explosions are fantastic looking, and produce a great deal of smoke that
blinds the enemy so that our forces can move in,” said one Israeli security
expert. Burning blobs of phosphorus would cause severe injuries to anyone
caught beneath them and force would-be snipers or operators of
remote-controlled booby traps to take cover.
clipped from: www.timesonline.co.uk 