Israel closes Lebanon cluster bomb probe

 

Zionist regime's military prosecutors abandoned probe into the regime's use of cluster bombs during last year's war in Lebanon, the army said Monday,

 

They 'determined' that their regime's use of the weapons, which open in flight and scatter dozens of bomblets, was a 'concrete military necessity' and did not violate international humanitarian law.

 

The United Nations and human rights groups have slammed the reigme for dropping about four million cluster bomblets during its 34-day war against the Hezbollah movement.

 

They warned that as many as one million bomblets failed to explode and now endanger civilians. More than 30 people have been martyred by cluster bomb and land mine explosions in Lebanon since the 2006 summer war.

 

According to a statement by the Zionist army, the chief investigator, Maj. Gen. Gershon HaCohen, has claimed determined "it was clear that the majority of the cluster munitions were fired at open and uninhabited areas, areas from which Hezbollah forces operated and in which no civilians were present."

 

The statement also claimed that whenever firing cluster bombs, the regime's forces were "respecting the laws of armed conflict .... and preserving the ethical values".

 

"The use of this weaponry was legal once it was determined that, in order to prevent rocket fire onto Israel, its use was a concrete military necessity," the statement added.

 

Zionist regime invaded Lebanon in summer 2006 but was grounded by the strong shield of the popular Lebanese Islamic Resistance Movement, Hezbolah.