Lebanon, 1978, 1982 and 2006
Extensively used by Israel during the 1978 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the 1982-2000 occupation of Lebanon and in the 2006 Lebanon war.
During the Israeli-Lebanese conflict in 1982, the world witnessed Israel using US made cluster munitions on the military and civilians in southern Lebanon. Twenty four years later Israel is still using cluster bombs.[9][10][11]
The two types of cluster munitions transferred to Israel from the U.S. were the CBU-58 which uses the BLU-63 bomblet. This cluster bomb is no longer in production. In addition, the MK-20 Rockeye, produced by Honeywell Incorporated in Minneapolis was also transferred to Israel. The CBU-58 was used by Israel in Lebanon in both 1978 and 1982.[9]
The United Nations and human rights groups have accused Israel of dropping as many as 4 million cluster bomblets onto targets in Lebanon during the 2006 Lebanon war.[12][13]
"Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz plans to appoint a major general to investigate the use of cluster bombs some of which were fired against his order during the Lebanon war. Halutz ordered the IDF to use cluster bombs with extreme caution and not to fire them into populated areas. Nonetheless, it did so anyway, primarily using artillery batteries and the Multiple Launch System (MRLS). IDF artillery, MLRS and aircraft are thought to have delivered thousands of cluster bombs, containing a total of some 4 million bomblets during the war."[13][14]
In the last 72 hours of fighting, Israel dropped over 4 million cluster bomblets over south Lebanon, at a time when the Security Council had already adopted Resolution 1701 calling for the immediate cessation of hostilities. Around 40 percent of the bomblets failed to detonate, according to the UN, turning into de facto land mines. A total of 273 civilians and 57 deminers have since been killed or maimed by cluster bombs.[15]
Human Rights Watch said there was evidence that has Israel used cluster bombs too close to civilians and described them as "unacceptably inaccurate and unreliable weapons when used around civilians" and that "they should never be used in populated areas."[16] Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of using cluster munitions in an attack on Bilda, a Lebanese village, on 19 July[17] which killed 1 civilian and injured 12, including seven children. The Israeli "army defended ... the use of cluster munitions in its offensive with Lebanon, saying that using such munitions was 'legal under international law' and the army employed them 'in accordance with international standards.'"[18] Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev added, "
f NATO countries stock these weapons and have used them in recent conflicts in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq the world has no reason to point a finger at Israel
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