Israel has allegedly reprimanded two officers for authorizing a white phosphorous attack which hit a U.N. compound in Gaza last year, a report has claimed.
The compound was set on fire after Israeli military bombarded nearby targets with the white phosphorous shells, on Jan. 15 2009.
The admission, which is contained in the Israeli response to the U.N. Goldstone report, claims that the the officers were “exceeding their authority” in ordering the use of the weapons in the attack.
“Several artillery shells were fired in violation of the rules of engagement prohibiting use of such artillery near populated areas,” the response says.
However, the Israeli military told the Haaratz newspaper that the officers in question—Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg and Col. Ilan Malka—had not in fact been reprimanded.
According to a Reuters report, Eisenberg is still in command of Israel’s Gaza division, and Malka has been moved to the West Bank under the same rank.
In addition, the Israeli military have also denied that the attack violated the rules of engagement.
The shells work by dispersing hundreds of pieces of felt impregnated with phosphorus.
According to Israeli intelligence sources, cited by Harratz, the munitions were fired at a Hamas encampment nearby. However, some of the pieces fell into the U.N. compound, causing injury to a U.N. employee there as well as two Palestinian civilians who took cover at the location.
There are no international conventions against the use of the munitions, and the Israeli military has contended that they were fired in areas remote from heavily populated areas.
White phosphorous, an incendiary bomb, is most commonly used to produce a smoke camouflage. However, when used as an offensive weapon, it has been classified by some as ‘chemical warfare.’
