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Gaza burn victims exhibit possible signs of white phosphorous wounds
By Amira Hass
Tags: IDF, Gaza, amira hass 

GAZA - Palestinian doctors at a number of hospitals in the Gaza Strip informed foreign medical experts allowed into the area over the past two weeks that they were witnessing an unexpected deterioration in the condition of their burn victims.

They described the same phenomenon: Two weeks after being injured, the burn victims seemed to be getting worse, requiring skin grafts abroad.

In other instances, internal tissue was also destroyed. Some of the wounded died a week to 10 days after being injured, even though they had not appeared to suffer extensive injuries. The doctors only later discovered that their liver and kidneys had been affected. But at this point, it was already too late to save many of the wounded.
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The precise number of those who suffered burn wounds and then died is still uncertain.

Doctors take care to note that until the necessary laboratory work is done, they will be unable to determine with certainty if the burns were caused by the white phosphorus bombs the IDF dropped during its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.

They are also unable to state with certainty whether the patients' deterioration and the spread of infection stemmed directly from being hit with the phosphorus mortars.

However researchers from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who have spent the past three weeks in the Gaza Strip, have concluded with certainty that the white phosphorus bombs struck residential neighborhoods.

The initial treatment of the burns, before the doctors in the Gaza Strip had realized that they were caused by white phosphorus, was deemed useless.

"We had never seen phosphorus burns before," a veteran foreign surgeon told Haaretz. "In the [medical] literature, what is known about these burns is what was done as experiments, in lab conditions, or in military bases, perhaps as the result of accidents."

However, three Israeli documents Haaretz received, which were written during Operation Lead Cast, describe the sort of burns caused by white phosphorus and match the descriptions of the medical personnel in the Gaza Strip. The documents were prepared by the office of the IDF chief medical officer, the Medical Field Operations HQ and Magen David Adom.

A document bearing the signature of Dr. Zvi Feinberg, chief of medicine at Magen David Adom, and Rami Miller, a senior paramedic, writes that "white phosphorus contained in a bomb or a missile ignites when it comes into contact with oxygen ... the phosphorus that comes into contact with skin causes serious and deep burns."

Another document, this one signed by Dr. Gil Hirschorn, who is also a colonel in the army and head of trauma in the office of the IDF's chief medical officer, states: "During Operation Cast Lead, intelligence was received that Hamas was making use of an ordinance that contains phosphorus. Phosphorus is a poisonous substance, white-yellowish, similar to wax, that is used in mortar shells and hand grenades.

"When the phosphorus comes in contact with living tissue it causes its damage by 'eating' away at it. Characteristics of a phosphorus wound are: chemical burns accompanied by extreme pain, damage to tissue ... the phosphorus may seep into the body and damage internal organs. In the long run, kidney failure and the spread of infection are characteristic ... In conclusion: a wound by an ordinance containing explosive phosphorus is inherently dangerous and has the potential to cause serious damage to tissue."

A document entitled "Exposure to White Phosphorus," prepared by Medical Field Operations HQ and sent from the Health Ministry notes that "most of the data on phosphorus wounds stems from animal testing and accidents. Exposure to white phosphorus is highly poisonous, according to many lab experiments. Burns covering a small area of the body, 12-15 percent in lab animals and less than 10 percent in humans, may be lethal as a result of its effects, mostly on the liver, heart and kidneys."

Haaretz visited a number of homes in the Gaza Strip that show clear signs of being hit by phosphorus shells. At least one of the children hurt in such an attack will require a skin graft abroad. In another instance, four children and the father died as a result of a white phosphorus bombing.

Related articles:
  • Rights group: IDF using white phosphorous bombs in attacks on Gaza
  • Human Rights Watch: Israel using white phosphorus munitions in Gaza
  • Gazans say IDF troops ignored white flags and shot at them
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      1.   Chemical Weapons by any other name... 03:49  |  Jonathan 05/02/09
      2.   Amira and her comments... 04:49  |  Robert 05/02/09
      3.   And so it would seem 04:51  |  Sabra 05/02/09
      4.   Easy to believe 05:23  |  Arie 05/02/09
      5.   Poor Victims 05:30  |  judith 05/02/09
      6.   Terrible 06:20  |  Jasper 05/02/09
      7.   Burns from phoshorus are the same as oil burns 06:22  |  Gee 05/02/09
      8.   "Hamas was making...ordinance that contains phosphorous" 06:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/02/09
      9.   judith 06:22  |  Jasper 05/02/09
      10.   Horrible if True 06:44  |  Baruch Gold 05/02/09
      11.   Response to Amira 06:50  |  Raph 05/02/09
      12.   Journalism 06:59  |  Elliot 05/02/09
      13.   Wounded! 07:04  |  Paul 05/02/09
      14.   What about the Phosphorus bombs used by Hamas 07:49  |  Someone from Europe 05/02/09
      15.   Poor Israel 08:12  |  Peter 05/02/09
      16.   #2 Judith - So you are saying the IDF would NOT fight in cities? 08:19  |  Pablo B 05/02/09
      17.   Shame on You Judith (Comment 2) 08:45  |  Citizen of the World 05/02/09
      18.   And why should I trust you? 08:47  |  Alex 05/02/09
      19.   Whose Phosphorus? 08:52  |  Edward 05/02/09
      20.   Shame on us 09:21  |  twinky 05/02/09
      21.   "Hamas was making...ordinance that contains phosphorous" 09:34  |  Proud Israeli 05/02/09
      22.   Edward #15 09:46  |  Osama Kanaan 05/02/09
      23.   What soulless thing to do... 09:58  |  Dutch 05/02/09
      24.   ISRAELI Civillians exhibit shrapnell wounds.No doubts at all 10:39  |  PETER SM 05/02/09
      25.   Where lies Israels responsibility (guilt) for the victims...???? 10:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/02/09
      26.   If war crimes are not charged, they should never again be charged 10:47  |  Natallie Durson 05/02/09
      27.   To Proud Israeli 10:51  |  Brendan Holleran 05/02/09
      28.   Nauseating dishonesty 11:16  |  Colin Wright 05/02/09
      29.   The world is eye-witness 11:20  |  Can 05/02/09
      30.   dutch 11:30  |  danny 05/02/09
      31.   evidence and evidence 13:11  |  Axel 05/02/09
      32.   Israeli war crimes ? 13:33  |  Norwegian citizen 05/02/09
      33.   to Edward #18 13:39  |  Judy 05/02/09
      34.   Proud no 20 should be ashamed. 14:28  |  Sean 05/02/09
      35.   justifications 14:29  |  moonbow 05/02/09
      36.   Madds Ghilbert: medicine as politics and propaganda. 15:27  |  Edward 05/02/09
      37.   RE: Pablo 15:32  |  judith 05/02/09
      38.   To # 25- Natallie 16:25  |  Johann 05/02/09
      39.   Whose phosphorous? Look at the shells 16:33  |  Mark 05/02/09
      40.   During WWII Germans protested Soviet use of Katyusha rockets 16:52  |  Boris 05/02/09
      41.   Wise Amira 17:22  |  Johann 05/02/09
      42.   Use of DIME in Gaza? 17:26  |  Norwegian citizen 05/02/09
      43.   This is driving Americans like myself over the edge... 17:32  |  Dutch 05/02/09
      44.   Phosphorus bombs 17:51  |  Joan Burt 05/02/09
      45.   Piracy 18:20  |  Antonio 05/02/09
      46.   No, Johann 18:31  |  Norwegian citizen 05/02/09
      47.   Why don`t you google phosphorus burns? 18:31  |  Gee 05/02/09
      48.   To # 45- Norwegian 19:03  |  Johann 05/02/09
      49.   Hamas is storing materials for manufacturing explosives and 19:07  |  Israeli Observer 05/02/09
      50.   What`s with the white phosphorus bit? 19:08  |  Yonatan 05/02/09
      51.   To # 45- Norwegian Citizen 19:14  |  Romy 05/02/09
      52.   # 10 Baruch Gold 20:31  |  David 05/02/09
      53.   Amira`s blabber 20:40  |  Meelitabel 05/02/09
      54.   Sadistic weapon 20:41  |  David 05/02/09
      55.   Dutch the Outraged 22:27  |  Bilbi 05/02/09
      56.   Israeli Arms Industry 22:28  |  Martin 05/02/09
      57.   To # 54 - David 22:43  |  Elie 05/02/09
      58.   & victims of Hizbollah rockets were pocked by ball bearings 22:49  |  5th generation 05/02/09
      59.   dutch,has it driven you as far as to actually do something other 23:43  |  ballestic 05/02/09
      60.   david #54 the most sadistic weapon know to mankind today is a 23:50  |  ballestic 05/02/09
      61.   #5, shame on you, judith, for blaming the wrong people.... 23:50  |  Silvienne 05/02/09
      62.   Gee,you should have those same arabs google suicide bombers,that 23:52  |  terrornator 05/02/09
      63.   #43, Dutch, you`re right... 23:54  |  Silvienne 05/02/09
      64.   #8, C.Kohm would go to any lengths... 00:04  |  Silvienne 06/02/09
      65.   #10, Baruch Gold..."high ground" 00:06  |  Silvienne 06/02/09
      66.   #48 Interesting accusation, Johann 05:45  |  Johnboy 06/02/09
      67.   #8 Errrr, care to think again, Cipora? 05:49  |  Johnboy 06/02/09
      68.   re 61 Silvienne myopic vision 06:21  |  alan the real one 06/02/09
      69.   #67, jb 07:27  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/02/09
      70.   Thanks again, Almira & Haaretz; Exposing "Human Shields" Fraud, 01:51  |  Gray 07/02/09
      71.   One of the mortar shells fired from northern Gaza at the Eshkol R 23:40  |  Ines 09/02/09
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