Yossi Schwartz ISL (RCIT section on Israel/Occupied Palestine), 22.10.2024
Israel is complaining that Hezbollah is using cluster bombs against the Zionist state.
“Hezbollah is using cluster bombs against IDF forces maneuvering in southern Lebanon,” Israel Today has learned. According to security sources, on Tuesday, Hezbollah fired a cluster bomb at IDF forces maneuvering in southern Lebanon, and following the incident – the IDF held a series of situational assessments in preparation for the continuation of the fighting and how the forces would be deployed.”[i]
Cluster munitions cause great destruction, spread over a larger area than conventional munitions, and are considered illegitimate weapons by many countries in the world. After the Second Lebanon War, an American rights organization published that during the war, Hezbollah launched 122 mm cluster bombs made in China toward Israel. Each such bomb contained 39 bombs and hundreds of iron pellets. The organization’s representative in Israel said at the time that at least 100 bombs of this type were found in Israel.
Israel has also been heavily criticized in the past for using cluster bombs, especially during the Second Lebanon War. The cluster rockets used by the IDF at the time contained several hundred small bombs, which were dispersed in a radius of about 100 meters above the target.
The Israeli cluster bombs caused casualties in Lebanon even weeks after the war. In the past, Israel pledged to the US, which supplied it with some of the cluster bombs, that it would not fire cluster bombs at populated areas.
At the end of May 2008, a diplomatic conference was held where more than 100 countries agreed on the text of a treaty prohibiting the use, production, distribution or stockpiling of cluster bombs.
“Israel did not sign the treaty, and neither did the US. However, despite the criticism, it was reported that Israel also used cluster bombs during Operation” Cast Lead” in 2009 in the Gaza Strip“.[ii]
Defeat the Zionist monster!
Military victory for Hamas and Hezbollah!
Endnotes:
[i] https://www.israelhayom.co.il/news/defense/article/16648374
[ii] Ibid