{"id":1418,"date":"2009-01-15T20:12:46","date_gmt":"2009-01-15T14:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iqsoft.co.in\/wordpress\/?p=137"},"modified":"2009-01-15T20:12:46","modified_gmt":"2009-01-15T14:42:46","slug":"gazas-burn-victims-add-to-pressure-on-army-over-phosphorus-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2009\/01\/15\/gazas-burn-victims-add-to-pressure-on-army-over-phosphorus-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaza&#8217;s burn victims add to pressure on army over phosphorus"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"region-column1and2-layout2\">\n<div class=\"float-left position-relative margin-top-minus-22\"><span class=\"small\">From\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"byline\">The Times<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"small color-666\">January 12, 2009<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"heading\"><span style=\"font-weight:normal;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Muhammad Nabih Ahmed, 17, who sustained severe injuries from white phosphorus in Gaza\" src=\"http:\/\/www.timesonline.co.uk\/multimedia\/archive\/00464\/burns_464396a.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Muhammad Nabih Ahmed, 17, who sustained severe injuries from white phosphorus in Gaza\" width=\"385\" height=\"185\" \/><\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"region-column1-layout2\">\n<div class=\"article-landscape-image-text-container\">\n<div class=\"padding-left-right-10 padding-bottom-7\">\n<div id=\"dynamic-image-description\" class=\"padding-top-5\">\n<p class=\"small color-666\">Muhammad Nabih Ahmed, 17, who sustained severe burns from white phosphorus in Gaza<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"pagination-container\" class=\"pagination-container\">\n<div id=\"dynamic-image-navigation\" class=\"image-navigation\"><span class=\"browser-left-and-right\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/news\/world\/middle_east\/xxx\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/img\/global\/button\/button-left.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" \/><\/a><\/span><span class=\"tools\">IMAGE :<\/span><span class=\"x-of-y\">1 of 2<\/span><span class=\"browser-left-and-right\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/news\/world\/middle_east\/xxx\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/img\/global\/button\/button-right.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"14\" height=\"14\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"main-article\">\n<div class=\"article-author\"><span class=\"byline\">Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem and Michael Evans, Defence Editor<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"related-article-links\">\n<p>Pressure grew on Israel to end the use of controversial white phosphorus yesterday as\u00a0<em>The Times\u00a0<\/em>saw more evidence of its deployment around civilian populations in Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>More than 50 people with burns were taken into Nasser Hospital in the southern town of Khan Yunis, in what the hospital director, Youssef Abu Al-Reesh, said was a massive case of exposure to white phosphorus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t have the medical experience to judge these cases, but we searched the internet according to the cases we have, and it indeed confirmed that it\u2019s white phosphorus munitions. I have been working in this hospital for ten years and I have never seen anything like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The 1980 Geneva treaty says that white phosphorus should not be used as a weapon of war in civilian areas, but there is no blanket ban on its use as a smokescreen or for illumination. It produces a thick white smoke when exposed to oxygen, but can cause severe burns and melt flesh to the bone if it comes into contact with skin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"float-left related-attachements-container\">\n<div class=\"related-attachements-top padding-top-10\">\n<h3 class=\"section-heading\">RELATED LINKS<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"related-attachements-side padding-top-7 padding-bottom-10 padding-right-7\">\n<div class=\"padding-bottom-5 padding-top-3\">\n<ul class=\"chevron-list chevron-blue\">\n<li><a class=\"link-666\" href=\"http:\/\/www.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/news\/world\/middle_east\/article5497340.ece\">INDEPTH: The Hamas strategy to defeat Israel<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"chevron-list chevron-blue\">\n<li><a class=\"link-666\" href=\"http:\/\/www.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/news\/world\/middle_east\/article5497710.ece\">Israel reinforces army before \u2018third phase\u2019<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"chevron-list chevron-blue\">\n<li><a class=\"link-666\" href=\"http:\/\/www.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/news\/uk\/article5494750.ece\">Thousands protest over Gaza in London<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"puff-top\">\n<div class=\"related-attachements-side padding-top-10 padding-bottom-10 padding-right-7\">\n<h3 class=\"section-heading\">MULTIMEDIA<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"icon video\"><a class=\"link-666\" href=\"\/wordpress\/pictureGalleryPopup(&#039;\/tol\/&#039;,5494085);\">PICTURES: War in Gaza<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The sudden influx of burns patients at Nasser Hospital coincided with Israel\u2019s expanded ground offensive, which included the Al-Qarara and Kuza\u2019a suburbs of Khan Yunis.<\/p>\n<p>Muhammad Tahseen, 20, said that he was sitting outside his home in Al-Qarara when a shell exploded above. He described watching his two cousins writhe in pain as he stood metres away, unable to help. \u201cThere was an explosion and white smoke. I saw my cousins screaming . . . I saw them burning and their clothes burning. I saw their skin melting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Doctors said that they were unable to provide further help to Muhammad Nabih Ahmed, 17, listed in critical condition with burns to the chest and back. The family hope to get Ahmed treated in an Egyptian hospital. But travel from Khan Yunis to the southern border with Egypt is treacherous, and many aid organisations have ceased travelling along the roads.<\/p>\n<p>When first questioned by\u00a0<em>The Times<\/em>\u00a0last week an Israeli military spokesman \u201ccategorically denied\u201d using white phosphorus in Gaza. In a statement issued yesterday the spokesman\u2019s office said: \u201cWe don\u2019t specify operational details, nor the type of ammunition that we use, but any ammunition that is used by the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] is within the scope of international law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Human Rights Watch said it was sure Israel had used white phosphorus. \u201cThe use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas of Gaza violates the requirement under international humanitarian law to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injury and loss of life,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n<p>Further research by\u00a0<em>The Times<\/em>\u00a0into the type of US-made shells being fired by Israeli gunners on the border with Gaza uncovered additional evidence that the light blue munitions, known as M825A1s, are carriers of white phosphorus, impregnated in more than 100 felt wedges.<\/p>\n<p>The lot number \u2013 PB-91J011-002A \u2013 visible in a photograph published by\u00a0<em>The Times<\/em>\u00a0last week indicates that the shells being used by the IDF were assembled in September 1991 at Pine Bluff arsenal in America, where all US white phosphorus munitions are reportedly made. The contractors are Chamberlain Manufacturing [metal parts only], General Dynamics, and Ordnance and Tactical Systems.<\/p>\n<p>White phosphorus can be air-burst or ground-burst. It emits a distinct garlic smell. When air-burst, it covers a larger area than ground-burst and is useful to mask large troop movements. However, this spreads the incendiary effect over a wider area.<\/p>\n<p>Munir Albarsh, the Head of Emergency Medicine at Gaza\u2019s Ministry of Health, said that doctors were collecting tissue samples at hospitals across Gaza to send for phosphorus testing at international laboratories. He added that the ministry would demand an independent international investigation into Israel\u2019s use of white phosphorus.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From\u00a0The Times January 12, 2009 Muhammad Nabih Ahmed, 17, who sustained severe burns from white phosphorus in Gaza IMAGE :1 of 2 Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem and Michael Evans, Defence Editor Pressure grew on Israel to end the use of controversial white phosphorus yesterday as\u00a0The Times\u00a0saw more evidence of its deployment around civilian populations in&hellip; <br \/> <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2009\/01\/15\/gazas-burn-victims-add-to-pressure-on-army-over-phosphorus-2\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[43],"class_list":["post-1418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gaza-palestine-islam-islam","tag-gazas-burn-victims-add-to-pressure-on-army-over-phosphorus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1418\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venusimportexport.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}