Flooding South Lebanon - Human Rights Watch

This statement followed the findings of an initial “operational inquiry” by the IDF,
which reported that IDF units had not always used cluster munitions in accordance
with the IDF’s regulations and then Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz’s orders. 312 At
the time these regulations were reported to be that the use of cluster munitions was
permitted in only open and unpopulated areas (at least during the Lebanon
conflict). 313 The Army acknowledged that instead of using cluster munitions against
only particular targets, the IDF had used rockets to deliver the submunitions over
larger areas. 314
Despite alleging some fault, the inquiry excused the IDF’s actions. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs November 2006 statement on the inquiry’s findings said:
It should also be noted that the findings of the operational inquiry
show that, prior to the use of cluster munitions, the IDF repeatedly
warned the civilian population to leave targeted areas. The findings
also show that cluster munitions were directed only at legitimate
military targets, which had been identified as sites from which
Katyusha rockets were being launched against Israeli population
centers. 315
Lieutenant General Halutz said he was “disappointed but not surprised” to learn of
breaches of his orders and told the Israeli Army radio that it was necessary to further
investigate how military orders for the use of cluster munitions had been “given and
implemented.” 316 He appointed Maj. Gen. Gershon HaCohen to oversee a broad
inquiry. Officers in the IDF’s artillery and rocket units expressed surprise at the
investigations, however, with soldiers alleging that units that fired cluster munitions
312 Hasson and Rapoport, “IDF Admits to Targeting Civilian Areas with Cluster Bombs,” Ha’aretz.
313 Ibid.; Yaakov Katz, “Safer Israeli Cluster Bombs Not Used,” Jerusalem Post, November 21, 2006; Yaakov Katz, “N.
Command Ordered Cluster Bombing,” Jerusalem Post, November 28, 2006.
314 Tim Butcher, “Israel Admits Breaching Own Rules on Cluster Munitions,” The Daily Telegraph, November 21, 2006.
315 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “IDF to Probe Use of Cluster Munitions in Lebanon War.”
316 Tim Butcher, “Israel Admits Breaching Own Rules on Cluster Munitions,” The Daily Telegraph, November 21, 2006; Greg
Myre, “Israeli General Orders Lebanon Inquiry,” New York Times, November 20, 2006.
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Human Rights Watch February 2008