A/HRC/3/2 page 61 to their evacuation under UNIFIL supervision. This was witnessed by civilians concerned and interviewed by the Commission. It was also confirmed by UNIFIL officers on the scene that 12 white phosphorous rounds were fired directly at the civilians.220 260. Another report mentioned an incident that took place at Aita ech Chaab. The Commission visited two houses that had been badly burnt. The Commission did not find evidence of the use of incendiary weapons on the outside of the house. It is possible that smoke shells from a tank were fired into it to ignite the fires inside but this could not be confirmed. 261. On 23 October it was reported in The Guardian newspaper221 that the Government of Israel had “admitted that it used … phosphorous weapons in its attacks against targets during its month-long war in Lebanon this summer”. The Israeli admission was made by Minister Jacob Edery, who was questioned on the subject by Zahava Gal-On, a member of the Knesset. Mr. Edery said that “[T]he IDF holds phosphorous munitions in different forms. The IDF made use of phosphorous shells during the war against Hezbollah in attacks against military targets in open ground”.222 262. The Commission did not find evidence concerning the use of incendiary weapons, such as flame throwers or napalm. (d) Dense inert metal explosives (DIME) 263. Various media223 have reported on the possible use by IDF of Dense inert metal explosives (DIME), a new weapon, in Lebanon. It was reported that Israeli Air Force Major General Yitzhak Ben-Israel had described the weapon as being designed “to allow those targeted to be hit without causing damage to bystanders or other persons”.224 It was brought to the Commission’s attention by a number of expert medical witnesses225 that some of the casualties had suffered from inexplicable burn injuries not witnessed before. These witnesses had extensive experience of war wounds from previous conflicts; their testimony is therefore of some relevance. IDF have strongly denied the use of such weapons. If they were effectively used, the Commission finds that they would be illegal under international humanitarian law. Protocol I of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (hereafter “the Conventional Weapons Convention”), to which Israel is a signatory, prohibits the use of any weapon the primary effect of which is to injure by fragments which cannot be detected by X-rays. The Commission was unable in the time available to thoroughly investigate the claims. However, in drawing attention to this weapon and in particular to the expert witnesses’ testimonies, it finds that the possible use of such weapons in Lebanon should be the subject of further investigation. (e) Fuel-air explosives 264. There were some allegations from witnesses that IDF used fuel-air explosives during the conflict. This was particularly the case in relation to the destruction of property in South Beirut.226 The weapon is designed for targets such as minefields, armour, and aircraft parked in the open and vehicles. Its vacuum effect is particularly useful against hardened bunkers. The Commission found no evidence of its use for such purposes.