The Syndicate of Chemists in Lebanon (SCL) warned yesterday that the extent of destruction and the depth of damage to buildings and the ground confirms the use of internationally banned bombs containing depleted uranium by Israeli forces, warning of the risk of contracting many diseases as a result of inhaling the dust caused by the bombing.
It said in a “very important warning” that it condemns “the barbaric aggression against civilians in Lebanon and the massacres being committed against the Lebanese people,” noting that 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 metres is evidence of the use of bombs containing depleted uranium, which has tremendous penetrating power,” it added.
The SCL stressed 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 SCL called on “the international community to stop the aggression against Lebanon, and to stop the use of internationally banned bombs.”
It also called on 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.”
Citizens, it added, should not “approach the bombed areas within a radius of more than two kilometres,” while those forced to approach these areas must “wear protective clothing”.
The SCL confirmed that it “closely monitors the enemy’s use of internationally banned weapons.”
The most prominent use of these anti-fortification bombs was during the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on 27 September, in addition to attempts to kill his successor, Hashem Safieddine.
Israel has killed 1,204 people in Lebanon since it launched its most vicious attack on the country in nearly 20 years on 23 September. More than 1.2 million have been displaced.
Welcome to the Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD), that spreads every time certain weapons systems are used in war. I still remember the absurd claims about Tomahawk cruise missiles containing 400kg of Depleted Uranium (DU) each during the bombing of Libya.
The truth is that weapons containing DU are considered a conventional weapon and not banned by the ICJ or the United Nations, the ICJ's ruling on nuclear weapons does not apply to DU weapons as their primary purpose is to increase penetration through a kinetic strike, rather than spread radiation or a nuclear blast. While I agree that DU should be banned internationally, misinformation is not helpful to that cause.