Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., January 20, 2009 Tevet 24, 5769 | | Israel Time: 15:59 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File

Norwegian doctor: Israel used new type of weapon in Gaza By Amira Hass Tags: weapons, Hamas, Gaza  Some Palestinian casualties in the Gaza Strip were wounded by a new type of weapon that even doctors with previous experience in war zones do not recognize, according to Dr. Erik Fosse, a Norwegian cardiologist who worked at Gaza's Shifa Hospital for 11 days, during Operation Cast Lead. However, he added in a telephone conversation from Oslo, most casualties were people hit by shrapnel from conventional explosives. Fosse, a department head at a university hospital in Oslo, worked in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation and several times in Lebanon, also in 2006. That was when he first heard about the new kind of weapon, but did not see any such wounds with his own eyes. Advertisement The unknown weapon appears to mainly affect the body's lower part, he said. It severs the legs, leaving burns around the stump, small punctures in the skin and internal bleeding. According to Fosse, these injuries appear to be caused by a pressure wave generated when a missile hits the ground. His best guess, he said, is that the pressure wave is caused by a dense inert metal explosive, or DIME, a type of bomb developed to minimize collateral damage. A military expert working for Human Rights Watch also told Haaretz that the nature of the wounds and descriptions given by Gazans made it seem likely that Israel used DIMEs. Fosse and a Norwegian colleague, Mads Gilbert, arrived in Gaza on December 31 and remained until January 10. They were financed by the Norwegian government. On his return, Fosse submitted a report to his government in which he accused the IDF of deliberately targeting civilians. Fosse said he believes Israel deliberately chose to attack while Westerners working for international organizations were back home for the Christmas vacation. "The Palestinian witnesses, as medical workers, are very accurate in their reports, but if we hadn't been there to confirm their testimony, it would all have been presented as Hamas propaganda," he said. Related articles: Is Israel using illegal weapons in its offensive on Gaza? Sarkozy: Halt to arms smuggling is key to Gaza cease-fire Rights group: IDF must ban shell that killed cameraman in Gaza Bookmark to del.icio.us   Inciting imagery Yad Vashem Chair: Nazi imagery at anti-Israel rallies incites violence. Frames of Reality A social networking Web site links Israeli and Gaza journalists during wartime.   1.   What about the new kind of Hizballah-Hamas weapon? 07:42  |  MR 19/01/09   2.   This "doctor" staged deaths, judge for yourself 07:50  |  Gili 19/01/09   3.   Bogus 08:43  |  Mark 19/01/09   4.   this doctor is a known radical who faked videos 08:44  |  charly landsman 19/01/09   5.   #2 Gili. "Little green footballs" 08:45  |  Maureen Ann 19/01/09   6.   Another Useful Idiot Shilling For the Palestinians 08:45  |  ott 19/01/09   7.   What about the new kind of Hizballah-Hamas weapon? 08:59  |  JV 19/01/09   8.   omissions 09:23  |  nelson 19/01/09   9.   Yasher Koach IAF 10:15  |  Mordechai 19/01/09   10.   Now it`s a crime to minimize collateral damage??! 10:19  |  David 19/01/09   11.   The flip side 10:27  |  Yanosh 19/01/09   12.   They are well known here 10:55  |  Per 19/01/09   13.   Well respected men 11:21  |  Jake 1948 19/01/09   14.   Jake 1948 or now it`s illegal to try to avoid collateral damage 12:07  |  Ehud 19/01/09   15.   Not respected at all! 12:14  |  Norwegian 19/01/09   16.   NORWAC 12:15  |  flimflam 19/01/09   17.   Credibility of the sources 12:17  |  Henrik Gram 19/01/09   18.   Norway doctors 12:19  |  leif 19/01/09   19.   Norwegian no 13 12:54  |  Jake 1948 19/01/09   20.   Norvay goes home! 12:57  |  Enrico 19/01/09   21.   Norwegian useful idiots 13:04  |  Gregor 19/01/09   22.   Henrik Gram no 15 13:05  |  Jake 1948 19/01/09   23.   Henrik Gram no 15 13:05  |  Jake 1948 19/01/09   24.   See with your own eyes 13:09  |  Hanne Yndestad 19/01/09   25.   Norwegians; Amira Hass; and "propaganda"; (5th try) 15:31  |  S 19/01/09   26.   GBU - 39 small diameter bomb - Dime weapon 19:23  |  Geoff 19/01/09   27.   Not with my $`s 07:39  |  Scott 20/01/09   28.   10 David, The terrorists today are the Israelis 08:30  |  Dutch 20/01/09   29.   Spin 11:22  |  Lars 20/01/09

Read & React Bradley Burston: Mr. Obama, grant Hamas the freedom to fail Responses: 43 David Grossman: Gaza success proves Israel is strong, not right Responses: 225 A. Eldar: As Obama is sworn in, Israelis and Palestinians will be thinking 'no we can't' Responses: 38 Report: Hamas leader says he never expected scale of IDF op in Gaza Responses: 30 Editorial: Bush will be remembered as a friend of Israel, despite his mistakes Responses: 19 More Headlines 14:41 IDF troops still in Gaza come under fire, in first truce violation 14:03 'Sarkozy to host global summit on Mideast peace' 14:09 Report: Hamas leader says he never expected scale of IDF op in Gaza 12:19 Lieberman to Tibi: We must treat some Arab MKs like we treated Hamas 14:35 Americans in Israel gear up for Barack Obama's inauguration 06:43 Akiva Eldar / As Obama is sworn in, Israelis and Palestinians will be thinking 'no we can't' 12:44 Olmert: Hamas responsible for damage IDF op caused in Gaza 15:25 Gaza reporter caught on tape confirming Hamas fired rockets near TV offices 14:56 WATCH / Inside Israel medical center for Gaza residents 15:22 Israel pinning hopes for Hamas deal in Gaza on Egypt intel chief 13:44 Livni: We need progress on Shalit before we address Hamas demands 12:33 Top IDF officer defends Israel's actions in Gaza, says Hamas was defeated 12:34 Olmert's office acted alone in barring foreign reporters from Gaza 12:33 David Grossman / Gaza success proves Israel is strong, not right 04:26 Report: Olmert privately proposed division of Jerusalem to Arab leaders 08:18 Amira Hass / Gazans say IDF troops ignored white flags and shot at them 11:19 Lieberman to Haaretz: Hamas missiles will reach Tel Aviv within a year Previous Editions Select Day 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 12 jan 11 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan

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