Many of us who thought Israel was justified in responding militarily to Hezbollah’s attack across its border last summer were critical of Israel’s use of cluster weapons, especially in the last days of the fighting.
As I wrote:
If cluster bombs are distinctly more awful than other legal weapons, it’s because so many of the tiny bomblets they contain do not explode on use. Long after the fighting, they can kill or maim those who stumble upon them. And of course children are particularly vulnerable.
It’s not enough to say, as an Israeli army spokesman did, “All the weapons and munitions used by the Israel Defense Forces are legal under international law, and their use conforms with international standards.”
However I have not seen any substantiated evidence that Israel aimed cluster weapons specifically at Lebanese civilians. Now that Human Rights Watch is reporting that Hezbollah fired cluster munitions into Israeli civilian populated areas during the recent war, I hope we will see a few words of condemnation from those who glorified and otherwise supported that fascist organization on the grounds of “self-defense,” “legitimate resistance to aggression,” etc., etc.
(Hat tip: Fabian.)
