Jan 16, 2009

RAFAH — They have treated many and have seen much.

But doctors, Arabs and foreigners, who have been to the Gaza Strip in recent days are scratching their heads trying to figure out the cause of the abnormal injuries suffered by Palestinian civilians.

"I have not seen anything like this in my many years of professional experience," Asharf Mohamed, an Egyptian doctor, told IslamOnline.net.

He recalls people being admitted to hospital with burnt organs, lacerated tissues or even without the lower half of their bodies.

"Many of the injuries looked like as if being cut off with a knife or something similar."

The doctor said the abnormal injuries suggest Israel's use of unconventional weapons during its three-week onslaught against the densely-populated Gaza Strip, which has so far killed more than 1200 people.

"Most of these wounds are caused by Israel's use of banned and experimental weapons. They are killing them with DIME bombs."

The same conclusion was made by Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert, who worked in Gaza's main Shifa hospital during the first weeks of the Israeli blitz.

"Without shrapnel injuries which we strongly suspect must have been caused by the DIME weapons," he told reporters in Oslo.

The as Dense Inert Metal Explosive (DIME) is an experimental type of explosive that has a relatively small but effective blast radius.

DIME technology is designed to minimize damage to property near the attack, by confining its increased lethal effects to people in its immediate vicinity.

Extremely small particles shoot from the explosion, creating micro-shrapnel that can slice up tissue and bones.

The metal used in the bomb, called HMTA, can also cause cancer later on to survivors.

Documenting Crimes

Dr. Mohamed Osman, the head of an Arab Doctors Union medical team in Gaza, recalls many horrific scenes.

"There are victims who are being admitted without the lower part of their bodies," he told IOL.

"The Israelis are using weapons that burn the organs and lacerate the tissues.

"Words fail to describe what we have seen."

Many of the doctors have documented the cases they had treated with photos and medical reports.

"We are ready to present the photos of these crimes," Dr. Yehia Ahmed, a surgeon, told IOL.

"I don't mind testifying before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against these Israeli crimes against Palestinians."

Dr. Jalaluddin Ibrahim, a surgeon, hopes Israel would be held accountable for its crimes against the civilian population of Gaza.

"We want to see legal action being taken against the Israeli crimes in besieged Gaza."

The International Federation for Human Rights on Wednesday called on the UN Security Council to refer Israel to the ICC for possible war crimes in Gaza.

A coalition of Israeli human rights groups, including the local chapter of Amnesty International, also want an international investigation into war crimes in Gaza.

"This kind of fighting constitutes a blatant violation of the laws of warfare and raises the suspicion, which we ask be investigated, of the commission of war crime," they said in a statement.

"The responsibility of the State of Israel in this matter is clear and beyond doubt."