Israel used internationally banned bombs in Lebanon: Syndicate of Chemists

By Yakoota Al Ahmad

BEIRUT (AA) - The Syndicate of Chemists in Lebanon (SCL) warned Sunday that the scale of destruction and the depth of damage to buildings and the ground suggest the use of internationally banned bombs containing depleted uranium by Israeli forces.

In a statement, the SCL condemned “the barbaric aggression against civilians in Lebanon and the massacres being committed against the Lebanese people.”

It said the warning aims “to raise awareness about the effects of inhaling the dust from Israeli bombings in several Lebanese areas.”

“The extent of destruction and the penetration of buildings and ground by dozens of meters is evidence of the use of bombs containing depleted uranium, which has tremendous penetrating power."

It emphasized that "the use of such types of internationally banned weapons, especially in densely populated Beirut, leads to massive destruction, and their dust causes many diseases, especially when inhaled."

The syndicate called on the international community to stop the Israeli attacks on Lebanon and halt the use of internationally banned bombs.

It also urged the Lebanese state to file a lawsuit with the UN Security Council against “the violations taking place on Lebanese soil and the attempted mass killings of innocent civilians.”

Israel has launched massive airstrikes on Lebanon against what it calls Hezbollah targets, killing more than 1,200 people and injuring 3,400 others since Sept. 23. Tel Aviv also started a ground invasion of southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

The military campaign was an escalation in a yearlong conflict between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Tel Aviv’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 41,900 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

At least 2,036 people have since been killed, over 9,500 injured, and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul