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Photographic evidence has emerged that proves that Israel has been using controversial white phosphorus shells during its offensive in Gaza, despite official denials by the Israel Defence Forces. There is also evidence that the rounds have injured Palestinian civilians, causing severe burns. The use of white phosphorus against civilians is prohibited under international law. The Times has identified stockpiles of white phosphorus (WP) shells from high-resolution images taken of Israel Defence Forces (IDF) artillery units on the Israeli-Gaza border this week. The pale blue 155mm rounds are clearly marked with the designation M825A1, an American-made WP munition. The shell is an improved version with a more limited dispersion of the phosphorus, which ignites on contact with oxygen, and is being used by the Israeli gunners to create a smoke screen on the ground. The rounds, which explode into a shower of burning white streaks, were first identified by The Times at the weekend when they we...

Israel has held a unique position among “ civilized ” nations, in that it has been allowed to control the international debate about itself and its treatment of the controlled Palestinian territories, by forcing diplomats and the Western press to use a special vocabulary of redefined words. Here is where Israeli “Hasbara, ” the official government crafted version of events, comes into play. Hasbara defines its own “ reality ,” meant for consumption by the Goy world, intending to give the impression that Israel wants conveyed. Consider the propaganda effort by the IDF to pass-off an attack video of an Israeli missile striking a truck full of oxygen tanks as militants unloading Qassam rockets. A video grab released by the Israeli Defence Force and broadcast on Sky News shows an Israeli warplane targeting a truck on December 30, 2008 at an unknown location in the Gaza strip.Photo: AFP The Israelis obviously knew that they were watching bottles being rolled out of a flatbed, not winged r...