Hizbullah 'used Cluster Bombs'

Hizbullah fired cluster bombs into civilian areas of northern Israel in the recent conflict, Human Rights Watch said yesterday. The Lebanese Shia militia used two Chinese-made rockets for cluster strikes that hit the village of Mghar in Galilee on July 25, according to evidence gathered by the US-based organisation.

Although Israel made extensive use of cluster weapons against Lebanon, this is the first independent confirmation that Hizbullah used the weapons.

Cluster weapons scatter hundreds of small "bomblets" as they land, and can cause death or injuries over a wide area.

"We are disturbed to discover that not only Israel but also Hizbullah used cluster munitions in their recent conflict, at a time when many countries are turning away from this kind of weapon precisely because of its impact on civilians," said Steve Goose, director of Human Rights Watch's arms division.

The organisation cited statements from witnesses in Mghar, including some who had found "clearly identifiable pieces of submunitions and their casings".

Israeli police told Human Rights Watch they had documented 113 cluster rockets fired at Israel, causing one death and 12 injuries. In Lebanon the UN has identified 749 locations hit by cluster weapons. Many bomblets fail to explode and 20 deaths from cluster weapons have been reported in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire.

Human Rights Watch said: "The new findings raise serious concerns about the proliferation of these weapons to non-state armed groups, as well as states."

A group of countries, led by Sweden, is urging a worldwide ban on cluster bombs at arms talks in Geneva, but this is opposed by Britain, the US, China and Russia.