UN confirms Israel's use of white phosphorous shells in South
Associated Press
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NAIROBI: A UN team carrying out an environmental assessment of Lebanon after this summer's war with Israel confirmed that the Israeli military used artillery containing white phosphorous, banned under the Geneva Conventions, but found no evidence of depleted uranium, a UN official said Tuesday.
Achim Steiner, UN undersecretary general and executive director of the UN Environment Program, said samples taken by scientists confirmed "the use of white-phosphorous-containing artillery and mortar ammunition" by the Israeli military during the conflict.
Last month, an Israeli minister said the Israeli Army used phosphorous artillery shells against Hizbullah targets during their war, confirming Lebanese allegations for the first time.
But Steiner also said the UN team found no evidence of penetrators or metal made of depleted uranium or other radioactive material. The assessment appeared to counter some media reports that suggested uranium-based munitions had been used during the month-long war.
Steiner said in a statement: "In addition, no DU shrapnel or other radioactive residue was found. The analysis of all smear samples taken shows no DU, nor enriched uranium nor higher-than-natural uranium content in the samples."
Steiner said the UN team collected samples from September 30 to October 21 with one group focusing on munitions during the conflicts. Several samples were taken to three independent laboratories in Europe for tests, the statement said.
In October, the British daily The Independent said samples of soil taken from two bomb craters in Lebanon showed high radiation levels, suggesting that uranium-based munitions had been used.
Britain's Defense Ministry had confirmed the level of uranium isotopes in the samples, which were also being tested by mass spectrometry at a laboratory in Oxfordshire, the report had said
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