"Dozens of Palestinians, including children, arrived at hospitals suffering from suffocation after inhaling a white poisonous gas fired by the Israeli army in the northern Gaza Strip and in the Shawkah neighbourhood near Rafah, to the south." He urged victims not to panic should they inhale the gas and to cover themselves, and cover doors, windows, and vents with a moist cloth. A recent tally by the Palestinian Health Ministry from Istrael's Operation Protective Edge was 249 dead and 1860 wounded. There are not that many reporters in Gaza and they may not have access to check up on these reports. Apparently, There are also reports that Israel is using what are called Dense Inert Metal Explosive (DIME) is an experimental type of explosive that has a relatively small but effective blast radius. It is manufactured by producing a homogeneous mixture of an explosive material (such as phlegmatized HMX or RDX) and small particles of a chemically inert material such as tungsten. It is intended to limit the distance at which the explosion causes damage, to avoid collateral damage in warfare. These weapons have been around for some time. In July/August 2006, doctors in the Gaza Strip reported unusual wounds caused by Israel Defense Forces attacks against Palestinian targets, claiming that they were from a previously unknown weapons. A lab analysis of the metals found in the victims' bodies was reportedly "compatible with the hypothesis" that DIME weapons were involved. Israel denied possessing or using such weapons, and an Israeli military expert said that the wounds were consistent with ordinary explosives.[8] Dr. Mads Gilbert and Dr. Erik Fosse, working on wounded from the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, reported injuries that they believed were caused by some new type of weapon used by Israel, which they suspected were DIME bombs. Gilbert and Fosse report similar cases in the present incursion by Israel. Several sources describe these weapons as banned for example The reports of the weapons being banned may have their source in a statement by Palestinian Health undersecretary “Medical teams have found wounds on the bodies of those killed and injured that are caused by the banned DIME weapons. Gaza hospitals are bursting at the seams with dead and wounded. Children and women make up around 62 percent of those injured in the attacks.” Even though the weapons may not be banned, if Israel is testing these weapons using Gazans as subjects this in itself is ethically and perhaps even legally questionable. Dr. Fosse is interviewed by Press TV on the appended You Tube video. In the 2008-2009 Gaza conflict the UN found that Israel had used white phosphorus in civilian areas where it is banned. There are no reports so far of that happening but there are reports of a "strange toxic gas" being released by Israeli forces according to the Anadolu news agency. The news agency quoted Dr. Ashraf A-Qidra, a Gazan Health Ministry spokesperson as saying:He urged victims not to panic should they inhale the gas and to cover themselves, and cover doors, windows, and vents with a moist cloth. A recent tally by the Palestinian Health Ministry from Istrael's Operation Protective Edge was 249 dead and 1860 wounded. Press TV provides a similar report. However another source claims that the Director General of the Gaza Ministry of Health has "reportedly denied" that Israel was firing any toxic gas. There needs to be some type of followup to clarify the situation.There are not that many reporters in Gaza and they may not have access to check up on these reports. Apparently, foreign reporters must sign a form that absolves the Israeli forces of any responsibility for injuries or deaths to them. Amnesty International condemns the practice although it is also used by other armed forces. A Gazan journalist whose car was clearly marked on the hood TV was killed by an Israeli missile when it struck his vehicle.There are also reports that Israel is using what are called DIME weapons in the conflict. These weapons are described as follows in Wikipedia:These weapons have been around for some time. Doctors working in Gaza reported that these weapons were probably used in past battles:Gilbert and Fosse report similar cases in the present incursion by Israel.Several sources describe these weapons as banned for example here and here. . There are no references by which this claim can be verified. The Wikipedia article on DIME does not mention the weapons are banned. Many other articles speak of the weapons as experimental which is certainly true. One source says they are not legally banned. The weapons cause horrible wounds i n many cases but the ingredients used are also known to cause cancer in lab animals at least.The reports of the weapons being banned may have their source in a statement by Palestinian Health undersecretary Youssef Resh who said at a press conference;Even though the weapons may not be banned, if Israel is testing these weapons using Gazans as subjects this in itself is ethically and perhaps even legally questionable. Dr. Fosse is interviewed by Press TV on the appended You Tube video.

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