Forbidden Bombs Worldwide, Featuring Israeli Munitions

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While no Israeli munitions are classified as “forbidden bombs worldwide” in the same category as chemical weapons (which are universally banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Israel has signed but not ratified), there are significant controversies and international calls for restrictions on certain types of weapons used by Israel.

Specifically:

  • White Phosphorus: Its use is governed by Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), which Israel has not ratified. While not a chemical weapon (it operates by heat and flame), its use as an incendiary weapon in civilian areas is restricted under international humanitarian law. Human rights organizations like HRW and Amnesty International have documented Israel’s use of white phosphorus in densely populated civilian areas in Gaza and Lebanon, arguing such use is indiscriminate and unlawful. These organizations have called for white phosphorus to be banned as an incendiary weapon in civilian areas.
  • Flechette Shells: These are tank-fired shells that disperse thousands of small steel darts. While generally not prohibited under international humanitarian law, their use in densely populated civilian areas is highly controversial and human rights groups like B’Tselem and UN fact-finding missions have argued that their use violates principles of proportionality and precautions in attack, rendering them illegal in certain contexts.
  • Cluster Munitions: Israel is not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use, production, stockpiling, and transfer. Israel has historically produced and used cluster munitions, particularly in the 2006 Lebanon War, drawing international condemnation for their indiscriminate effects and the danger posed by unexploded submunitions.

So, while not “forbidden bombs worldwide” in the sense of a universal ban like nuclear weapons (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, to which Israel is not a signatory either) or chemical weapons, there’s strong international pressure and legal debate around Israel’s use of white phosphorus and cluster munitions, and questions about flechette shells in populated areas.