Source: UPI, 06-10-2006
BEIRUT, Lebanon - An average of about three people a day have been injured or killed by cluster bombs dropped on Lebanon during the conflict between "Israel" and Hizbullah.
U.N. officials said it will take more than a year to clear out the estimated 1 million unexploded "Israeli" bomblets, The New York Times reported Friday. The Times said the bomblets outnumber the 650,000 people living in the southern Lebanon region where they are located.
Unexploded cluster bombs had injured 109 people and killed 18 others as of Sept. 28, Lebanese officials said. The U.N. Mine Action Coordination Center in southern Lebanon said unexploded bombs have been found in 745 locations across the south and 4,500 of the estimated 1 million unexploded bombs have been disposed of.
"Israel" has faced criticism from U.N. officials, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for using the cluster bombs, which are legal for use against military targets. However, the groups say the bombs are difficult to focus exclusively on military targets and can harm civilians. "Israel" has also been criticized for allegedly dropping most of the bombs in the final days of the conflict, while peace negotiations were ongoing.