The High Court of Justice ruled on Sunday that it did not have the authority to determine what weapons the Israel Defense Forces use. The court turned down a petition launched by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) calling for a ban on the controversial tank-fired flechette shells, which explode in the air and scatter thousands of five centimeter-long steel darts over a large area.
"We won't determine what weapons the IDF uses," Justice Eliyahu Matza told the PHR, as he asked the organization to withdraw its petition. "Tomorrow we will be asked to rule that the army shouldn't use stun grenades and tear gas."
State representative attorney Yochi Gensin said the flechette shell was one of the most effective weapons the army had in its war against terror, but its use should be limited to targets of those suspected of actions endangering soldiers or Israeli citizens.
The 120 mm or 105 mm anti-personnel shells explode at a height of 500 meters, scattering thousands of five centimeter-long steel darts over an area of about one square kilometer, the Jerusalem Post reported. --------------------------------------------------------------------
Picture of the darts: http://www.btselem.org/Images/Photographs/Flashette2_Small.JPG
B'tselem Report from Feb. 2003: http://www.btselem.org/English/Open_Fire_Regulations/Flechette.asp
PHR-Israel (Physicians For Human Rights) Petition to the Israeli Courts against use of Flechette: http://www.phr.org.il/phr/Pages/PhrArticle_Unit.asp?Cat=11&art=475
