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LEBANON WAR

Has Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs with "depleted uranium" munitions?

According to the Israeli army, 80 ‘bunker buster’ bombs were dropped during the September 27 strike that killed the Secretary-General of Hezbollah.

Has Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs with

Plumes of black smoke rising from the series of Israeli air raids on October 4 at midnight over Beirut's southern suburbs. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'OLJ)

Most Beirut residents probably still have that deep rumble etched in their memory. Exactly two weeks after the first strike hit the bunker where Hassan Nasrallah was hiding, Israeli air forces dropped a new payload of several dozen "bunker busters" on Beirut's southern suburbs at exactly midnight on Friday. These bombs are designed to explode after deeply penetrating the ground.

The staggered explosions, which shake walls for kilometers around, also produce large plumes of smoke, indicating the power of the explosives used. According to the Israeli army, no fewer than "80 tons" of explosives were dropped on September 27 by eight F-15 jets on at least four residential buildings of at least seven stories. This unprecedented operation in Lebanon was launched to assassinate the Hezbollah leader, who was reportedly in a bunker buried nearly three meters deep. It also caused over a hundred civilian casualties, according to estimates from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

The Gaza Precedent

There are several types of "bunker busters," as these weapons are called in military jargon, but the Israeli army has not officially disclosed the type of munitions used. However, several clues suggest that the bombs used on that day, and perhaps again last Friday, by the Israeli air force, contained a small radioactive charge: depleted uranium.

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With serious concerns emerging in recent days about possible radioactivity from these Israeli bombings, Professor Raif Reda, president of the Lebanese Association of Social Medicine, has called for "collecting samples from the bombing sites and sending reports to the United Nations so the world can witness the bloody, criminal history of the Zionist enemy," according to statements reported by the National News Agency (NNA).

As the New York Times notes, a video released by the Israeli army showing the squadron's takeoff for the September 27 raid confirms that these aircraft were each equipped with six "BLU-109" missiles. These American-made munitions each weigh just under a ton (2000 pounds), according to the article, and are fitted with a "JDAM" (joint direct attack munitions) kit, a precision guidance system attached to the projectiles.

While not confirming the type of munitions used, two senior Israeli security officials told the American newspaper that "more than 80 bombs" were dropped over a few minutes to kill Hassan Nasrallah.

A report from the US Naval Institute indicates that the most common type of explosives inside these missiles are bombs classified as "GBU-31." These guided munitions are known for their ability to penetrate heavily reinforced concrete or steel structures thanks to a casing made of depleted uranium (DU), used for its high density, which enhances the bombs' resistance upon ground impact.

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The use of this particular type of weaponry in Beirut is all the more plausible as the Israeli army was already flagged in June during its war in the Gaza Strip. A report submitted to the UN Human Rights Commission documented the drop of GBU-31, GBU-32, and GBU-39 bombs on at least six distinct airstrikes by the Israeli air force on residential buildings, a school, refugee camps, and a market between October 9 and December 2, 2023.

In May, the Biden administration announced the suspension of a shipment of these nearly one-ton bombs to Israel due to "concerns over civilian safety in Gaza."

Pathogenic and Lethal Effects

Although depleted uranium is not as radioactive as its enriched counterpart used in nuclear weapons, it remains slightly radioactive and can release dangerous particles upon impact, contaminating populations and soils exposed to these low levels of radiation. "When uranium is inhaled or ingested through food and drinks, its pathogenic and lethal effects fully manifest. Once in the body, it is absorbed by the blood, which carries it to the organs (...) and can cause respiratory issues and kidney risks. It can also reach an unborn child through the placenta," according to a report by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). The characteristics of DU and its consequences for human health and the environment are further documented in a report published by the European Commission in 2010.

As a result, several resolutions calling for a moratorium on the use of depleted uranium weapons have already been adopted by the U.N. General Assembly and the European Parliament, with the latest dating back to 2022. These types of weapons are also being used in the war in Ukraine by both Russian and Ukrainian forces. However, no treaty currently exists to regulate – let alone ban – the military use of these DU weapons.

They were also used during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. According to a report from the US Air Force Central Command on this military campaign, US air forces used a total of 24 GBU-24 and GBU-28 bombs, each weighing 1.8 tons. Based on the Israeli army's account, they dropped in one minute an explosive charge nearly double the total dropped by the US over its entire month-and-a-half campaign in Iraq.

As revealed by L'Orient-Le Jour in October 2023, the Israeli army has already been found guilty multiple times of using bombs containing white phosphorus in South Lebanon, which is prohibited against civilians or civilian property under international law since the war began on October 8.

Most Beirut residents probably still have that deep rumble etched in their memory. Exactly two weeks after the first strike hit the bunker where Hassan Nasrallah was hiding, Israeli air forces dropped a new payload of several dozen "bunker busters" on Beirut's southern suburbs at exactly midnight on Friday. These bombs are designed to explode after deeply penetrating the ground.The staggered...