Flechette Shells: An illegal weapon
B'Tselem
31 Agosto 2009
The flechette shell is an anti-personnel weapon that is generally fired from a tank. The shell explodes in the air and releases thousands of metal darts 37.5 mm in length, which disperse in a conical arch three hundred meters long and about ninety meters wide.
The IDF uses flechette shells that are 105 mm in diameter and are fired from tanks.
The primary military advantage of the flechette over other munitions is its ability to penetrate dense vegetation very rapidly and to strike a relatively large number of enemy soldiers.
The IDF used flechettes in Lebanon against the Hizbullah and the other militias fighting against Israel. The flechettes killed and wounded dozens of Lebanese civilians who were not involved in the hostilities, including children.
Since the beginning of the al-Aqsa intifada, the IDF has used flechettes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
As of 2 February 2003, these shells have killed at …
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