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Last update - 19:38 21/01/2009
Israel denies using uranium-infused bombs during Gaza op
By Reuters
Tags: gaza, uranium bombs 

Israel denied on Wednesday its armed forces used ordnance with depleted uranium during the Gaza Strip offensive, and said that could be proven by any United Nations investigation.

Responding to a letter from Arab envoys, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Tuesday it would consult with member states on the diplomats' demand for a probe into whether Israeli attacks on Gaza might have featured the controversial munitions, which can leave dangerous radioactive debris.

"I deny this completely," Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said, adding that such allegations were "no more than a recurring motif of anti-Israel propaganda".
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The IDF, meanwhile, has begun investigating whether a reserve paratroops brigade made improper use of phosphorus shells during the fighting in Gaza. The brigade fired about 20 such shells in a built-up area of northern Gaza.

According to senior army officers, the IDF used two phosphorus-based weapons in Gaza. One, the sources said, actually contains almost no phosphorus. These are simple smoke bombs - 155mm artillery shells - with a trace of phosphorus to ignite them.

Depleted uranium is used in weapons because it can penetrate tanks and armour more easily due to its density and other physical properties.

It is a particular health risk around impact sites, where dust can get into people's lungs and vital organs. It also has
civilian uses in medical equipment and is used in radiation shields.

Israel was accused of using depleted uranium during its 2006 offensive against Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas. Palmor said a UN investigation failed to find any evidence of that.

"Should they decide to hassle the UN inspectors again, they'll get the same results," he said.

The IAEA has in the past contributed to studies on depleted uranium traces from ammunition in the Balkans which found it was highly unlikely that a reported increase in cancer risks there could be linked to the traces.

Related articles:
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  • IAEA to probe Arab claim Israel used uranium ammo on Gaza
  • For the first time, Gaza militants fire phosphorus shell at Israel
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