Iran launched at least one missile at Israel that dispersed cluster bombs intended to increase civilian casualties, the Israeli military reported on Thursday. This marks the first known use of cluster munitions in the ongoing seven-day conflict.
Israeli military officials did not provide further specifics, but local media cited the military saying the missile’s warhead opened at an altitude of about 7 kilometers (4 miles), releasing roughly 20 submunitions across an area of about 8 kilometers (5 miles) over central Israel.
One of these small bombs hit a house in the central Israeli town of Azor, causing some damage. There were no reports of injuries, according to Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian.
Cluster bombs are controversial because they scatter multiple smaller explosives indiscriminately, some of which may fail to detonate immediately and pose a lasting threat to civilians after conflicts end.
The Israeli military issued a graphic warning the public about the dangers of unexploded ordnance.
Brigadier General Effie Defrin, spokesperson for the Israeli military, said at a briefing, “The terror regime seeks to harm civilians and even used weapons with wide dispersal in order to maximize the scope of the damage.”
Iran’s mission to the United Nations and Israel’s embassy in Washington had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
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Daryl Kimball, executive director of the advocacy group Arms Control Association, called cluster munitions “egregious weapons” due to their wide-area destructive effect, especially when used near civilian populations, and noted their potential to leave behind unexploded remnants.
He added that given the inaccuracy of Iranian missiles, Tehran should be aware that cluster munitions are likely to strike civilian rather than military targets.
Both Iran and Israel have refused to join the 2008 international treaty banning the production, stockpiling, transfer, and use of cluster bombs—a treaty signed by 111 countries and 12 other entities.
In 2023, after significant debate, the U.S. supplied Ukraine with cluster munitions for use against Russian forces. Kyiv has stated that Russian troops also have used such weapons. None of these three countries are parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Source: NDTV