As Couric introduced the piece by correspondent Allen Pizzey, she incorrectly called WP a "banned weapon," and, after ignoring numerous violations of international law perpetrated by Hamas, relayed charges that Israel may have committed "war crimes." Couric: "Hamas gave a thumbs-down to President Obama today, saying his Middle East policy is no different from President Bush's. Hamas just ended a bloody war with Israel in Gaza, and tonight there is growing evidence the Israelis may have used a banned weapon. Some even accuse them of war crimes."Although Pizzey did vaguely refer to WP as being a "smoke-producing" chemical, he did not clarify that WP is commonly used to produce this smoke to facilitate troop movements, which constitutes a non-weapon use, leaving Couric's suggestion that it was a "banned weapon" and a "horrific new weapon" unchallenged.
Pizzey began his report: "These images are part of what Amnesty International calls indisputable proof the Israeli military illegally used white phosphorus in Gaza. The smoke-producing and incendiary chemical is banned in civilian areas because of its intense heat and fumes." After the CBS correspondent relayed the Israeli point of view that "The Israelis admit firing 200 white phosphorus shells, but deny breaking international law," the rest of the story was devoted to describing WP's effects on humans and making the case against Israel. Pizzey concluded: "The Israelis have ordered an inquiry, but human rights groups are calling for an international investigation."On the Sunday, January 11, Good Morning America, ABC's Simon McGregor-Wood brought up the WP issue on his network for the first time: "There's mounting concern over Israel's tactics. Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of causing civilian casualties by using these phosphorus shells in built-up areas. That's against international law. Israel denies it."Later, on the January 11, World News Sunday, during a story – which, on the bright side, focused largely on the deadly obstacles left by Hamas members for Israeli troops to wade through and even credited the Israeli military with trying to avoid civilian casualties – McGregor-Wood this time mentioned that the purpose of phosphorus munitions was to "obscure troop movements." McGregor-Wood: "Human rights campaigners accuse Israel of using shells containing burning white phosphorus. They're meant to obscure troop movements, but Gaza's hospitals are filling up with civilian burn victims."As anchor Dan Harris introduced the report, he notably contended that "Both sides are now engaging in some unconventional tactics and deceptions," although the report did not specify which of the Israeli military's actions Harris considered to be "unconventional tactics" or "deceptions."On January 25, ABC revisited the WP issue, and, as anchor Harris set up a report on World News Sunday, he seemed to suggest not only that there was wrongdoing on "both sides" of the conflict, but that the Israeli side may have been worse. Harris: "It's been a week since the fighting in Gaza ended, but both sides are being dogged now by complaints that they violated the rules of war. Israel has come under especially tough criticism for its use of a chemical agent."In the subsequent report, McGregor-Wood focused on complaints against the Israeli military, but, in contrast to the CBS Evening News, the ABC correspondent did at least inform viewers that the IDF was most likely not aiming WP at people or any other targets – i.e., WP was not being used as a weapon – as he relayed that WP is "good for hiding troop movements." Also unlike CBS, he informed viewers that even the American military has deemed the use of WP as acceptable: "In 2004, the U.S. used it to root out insurgents in Fallujah."After noting that the substance can cause severe burns if it comes into contact with human skin, he further relayed that "It's controversial, but not banned, unless intentionally used against civilians. But in Gaza, they are everywhere," before passing on a complaint by human rights activist Yael Stein: "There's no doubt that civilians will get injured because of the use of it, and therefore, it is forbidden."After informing viewers that, "In response to accusations it used phosphorus illegally, the Israeli army has launched an investigation," and that, "In a statement, it would only say it uses weapons permitted by law," McGregor-Wood ominously relayed that "Israel is worried about possible war crimes charges."While the ABC correspondent’s report had been somewhat balanced up to that point, he seemed to turn more sharply against Israel as he concluded, relaying a quote from a nine-year-old Palestinian boy who may have been injured by WP as the boy accused Israelis of having "no mercy." McGregor-Wood: "At Gaza's Shifa Hospital, we found nine-year-old Mohammed al Mamlik, burned when a shell burst above his home. ‘You have no mercy,’ he said to Israel. ‘You're doing everything to us, and we are just children.’"Below are more thorough transcripts of the reports cited from ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and FNC:#From the Thursday, January 22, CBS Evening News:KATIE COURIC. BEFORE COMMERCIAL BREAK: And coming up next right here on the CBS Evening News, was it a war crime? Israel's accused of using a horrific new weapon against Hamas....COURIC: Hamas gave a thumbs-down to President Obama today, saying his Middle East policy is no different from President Bush's. Hamas just ended a bloody war with Israel in Gaza, and tonight there is growing evidence the Israelis may have used a banned weapon. Some even accuse them of war crimes. From Gaza, here's Allen Pizzey.
ALLEN PIZZEY: These images are part of what Amnesty International calls indisputable proof the Israeli military illegally used white phosphorus in Gaza. The smoke producing and incendiary chemical is banned in civilian areas because of its intense heat and fumes. The Israelis admit firing 200 white phosphorus shells, but deny breaking international law. The last bombing raid here was a week ago. The area is littered with piece of shrapnel and bits of sticky, gummy brown material like this. Rub it, it bursts into flame and emits an acrid smoke. Distinct characteristics, experts say, of white phosphorous. Saba Halema's hands are an example of the kind of wound white phosphorus inflicts.DOCTOR NAFEZ ABU SHABAN, AL-SHIFA HOSPITAL CHIEF OF BURN UNIT: In hours, it is becoming much deeper and much wider, plus the smoke comes out from the wound.PIZZEY: The UN refugee agency says white phosphorus hit its warehouse in the city center.KAREN ABU ZAYD, UN RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY: You've got people that have said if it looks like white phosphorus, if it acts like white phosphorus, it must be white phosphorous.PIZZEY: Jodie Clark risked her life to pull a burning shell from under a fuel tanker.JODIE CLARK, UN RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY: I ran to the workshops. Another shell landed, probably 30 meters in front of me, and then just fireworks burst up from the ground and sprayed pellets of a burning substance all over the place.PIZZEY: This is part of one of the shells.CLARK: The fire extinguisher didn't put it out. It continued to burn. And in fact, when we went back an hour later to fight the rest of the fire, it was still burning.PIZZEY: The Israelis have ordered an inquiry, but human rights groups are calling for an international investigation. Allen Pizzey, CBS News, Gaza City.#From the January 11 World News Sunday: DAN HARRIS: Now, to another international crisis likely to land in Barack Obama's lap on day one, Gaza. Today, Israeli troops pushed deeper into the most populated areas, engaging in some of the fiercest fighting yet. Both sides are now engaging in some unconventional tactics and deceptions. Simon McGregor-Wood is in Israel tonight.SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD: Hamas has left many surprises for Israeli soldiers in Gaza, so many doors are booby-trapped, Israeli soldiers enter buildings by blasting through walls. These tunnels and bunkers stored weapons and hid fighters. Soldiers have discovered dozens of roadside bombs, bomb-sniffing dogs have become a soldier's best friend. At this specially built mock Palestinian town, Israel is training thousands of reservists to send into Gaza's dangerous battlefield. The holes here have already been made. These Israeli reservists are trying to train in an environment as close as possible to the one they may eventually face in Gaza. They're training how to go house to house to find their targets while sparing civilian casualties. But that's not always possible. The Israelis accuse Hamas of shooting from positions crowded with civilians, including schools and mosques. Israel's heavy weapons have caused hundreds of civilian casualties. Human rights campaigners accuse Israel of using shells containing burning white phosphorus. They're meant to obscure troop movements, but Gaza's hospitals are filling up with civilian burn victims. Until now, Israeli forces have encircled Gaza's cities to really damage Hamas. They may have to go further in. That will mean more casualties on both sides. Before any ceasefire, Israel insists Hamas must be unable to rearm. That means shutting down hundreds of smuggling tunnels like these under the Egyptian border that are used by Hamas to smuggle weapons. Israel is pounding them from the air. But once a rock solid diplomatic deal to make sure they remain closed when their soldiers finally leave the increasingly mean streets of Gaza. Simon McGregor-Wood, ABC News, at an Israeli training base in southern Israel.#From the January 25 World News Sunday:
DAN HARRIS: It's been a week since the fighting in Gaza ended, but both sides are being dogged now by complaints that they violated the rules of war. Israel has come under especially tough criticism for its use of a chemical agent. Simon McGregor-Wood is in Jerusalem tonight.SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD: It was these shells that set fire to the main U.N. compound in Gaza City. It burned for days. The shells always burst in midair, sending out streaks of white smoke and bright, burning lumps of phosphorus. It's a chemical that produces clouds of white smoke. It's good for hiding troop movements, but in contact with skin, it causes ferocious burning that's difficult to stop.MARC GARLASCO, MILITARY ANALYST: You can watch very clearly the jellyfish effect of the white phosphorus shell, and this causes extreme fire and the potential for civilian harm.SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD: It's controversial, but not banned, unless intentionally used against civilians. But in Gaza, they are everywhere.YAEL STEIN, HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE: There's no doubt that civilians will get injured because of the use of it, and therefore, it is forbidden.SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD: In response to accusations it used phosphorus illegally, the Israeli army has launched an investigation. In a statement, it would only say it uses weapons permitted by law. But Israel is worried about possible war crimes charges. Today, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised the government would defend its soldiers from these charges, just as they had defended Israel in Gaza. Phosphorus has been used since World War I. In 2004, the U.S. used it to root out insurgents in Fallujah. At Gaza's Shifa Hospital, we found nine-year-old Mohammed al Mamlik, burned when a shell burst above his home. "You have no mercy," he said to Israel. "You're doing everything to us, and we are just children." Mohammed's doctor says he's not exactly sure what caused his terrible injuries, but after he was admitted, the burning continued for hours. Simon McGregor-Wood, Jerusalem.#From the Sunday, January 11, NBC Nightly News:LESTER HOLT: Overseas now. There are growing signs tonight that Israel's ground offensive into Gaza may be about to enter a new and possibly more intense phase. NBC's chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, is near the Israelihttps://cdn.newsbusters.org/images/Gaza border and joins us now with the latest. Richard?RICHARD ENGEL: Good evening, Lester. We've been hearing a steady barrage of artillery fire into Gaza tonight as Israel made its deepest advance yet into Gaza City and sent in some reserve troops. It's a slow, dangerous advance into Gaza City. As Israeli troops push deeper into the city of 400,000, Israel says it is finding an urban minefield, Gaza rigged for battle. Israel intensified its bombing of houses, roads and mosques it claims were boobytrapped with mannequins strapped with bombs, anti-tank mines and waiting suicide bombers.AVITAL LEIBOVICH, ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON: We see boobytrapped areas, we see snipers that are all over the civilian neighborhoods, and not only the civilian neighborhoods. Hamas is using a lot of mortar fire.ENGEL: Today, the Israeli Army showed reporters a video filmed by its soldiers at Gaza City Zoo. Next to a lion's cage, the soldiers follow a cable they say was attached to a bomb. They defused it. But for Palestinians, shelter in Gaza is increasingly hard to find. Thousands are taking refuge in United Nations schools. There's little food or clean water. And doctors in Gaza today accused Israel of using controversial white phosphorus munitions. Human rights groups say video from Gaza appears to show white phosphorus shells exploding to create smoke to hide troop movements. The chemical can also be lethal.DOCTOR NAFIZ ABU SHA'ABAN, AL-SHIFA HOSPITAL: Burns which we receive here are not like the burns which we used to treat here. It's mostly massive and very deep burns. ENGEL: White phosphorus is not illegal under international law. The US military uses it extensively in Afghanistan. Today, Israel refused to comment on white phosphorous, saying only it abides by the laws of war.MARC GARLASCO, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: The problem is that the Israelis are dropping them over the refugee camps, and this is causing potential for civilian harm that just can't be justified.ENGEL: Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths in Gaza because its fighters have bunkered in cities and continue to fire 20 rockets and mortars a day into Israel. Israeli intelligence believes Hamas has not been able to restock its supply of rockets, but still has enough in reserve to continue firing them into Israel for another two to three weeks, Lester.#From the Tuesday, January 13, Special Report with Bret Baier:BRET BAIER: Israel is sending its key negotiator to Egypt Thursday to participate in cease-fire talks. Egyptian mediators are pushing Hamas to accept a truce proposal, and U.N. Secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon is headed to the region. But while many are talking peace, Israeli troops are pushing forward in Gaza. Correspondent Reena Ninan has an update.REENA NINAN: The Israeli military is now surrounding Gaza city, where half a million Palestinians live pounding with air strikes what is considered the most densely populated place on Earth. Border crossings with Israel and Egypt are closed, and civilians are faced with little choice but to brace themselves and find shelter wherever they can. Of the more than 950 people killed in Gaza since this campaign began, Israel estimates the number of dead Hamas fighters ranges from 400 to 500. The rest are civilians. But Palestinians disagree, saying the majority are civilians. The Israeli military uses white phosphorus in artillery shells to create smoke screens to mask troop movements on the ground. Human rights groups say this substance is lethal when used in populated areas and have left burn marks on civilians in Gaza. This video shot exclusively by Fox News shows a destroyed home in Gaza, and this Israeli shell with Hebrew writing reads "exploding smoke," a military description for phosphorus. Palestinian doctors say these shells left dozens injured.FRED ABRAMS, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: It shoots down more than 100 flaming, burning hot wafers which can set homes on fire and burn civilians. And we're beginning to see that now, deep and troubling wounds. It looks like they're being affected by these, by these bombs in populated areas.NINAN: Israel says the use of exploding smoke is not meant to target civilians.AVITAL LEIBOVICH, ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESWOMAN: Any munitions we're using is with accordance to the international law.NINAN: Today, Hamas released this video showing their snipers shooting down Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army confirmed several of their soldiers have been wounded in combat. Reports suggest Israel would like to end its military campaign before President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration next week. The next few days will determine the substance of an agreement that could end this round of violence. Along the Israeli-Gaza border, Reena Ninan.#From the January 7, 2009, The Situation Room on CNN:WOLF BLITZER, AFTER COMMERCIAL BREAK DURING 4:00 P.M. HOUR: Happening now, Israel accused of targeting Gaza with white phosphorus. That's a banned substance that can severely burn civilians. Is there any photographic proof? We're going to go live to the Pentagon. Barbara Starr will have a fact check for us.... WOLF BLITZER, DURING THE 5:00 HOUR: Beyond the casualty toll, this war has triggered a humanitarian crisis. In Israel, where a million people are within Hamas rocket range, schools and public institutions near the border have been closed. But in Gaza, it's truly a nightmare. Relief agencies say two thirds of the population is without electricity right now, and fuel is in very short supply. A U.N. agency reports 800,000 people have no running water. Food is getting into Gaza, but distribution is a problem, leaving many short of basic items. Hospitals operate on generators, but are short of medicine, blood and other supplies. Starbursts lighting up the skies over Gaza, there's controversy right now growing over just what types of munitions are these and how they are being used. Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, has been looking into this.BARBARA STARR: Questions are being asked, what is this weapon the Israelis exploded several times over Gaza? We showed the video to a defense expert.JOHN PIKE, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: White phosphorus. Willy peat white phosphorus shells, obviously. There's nothing else like it. That's obviously what it is. No doubt whatsoever.STARR: But an Israeli official told CNN: "I can tell you with certainty that white phosphorus is absolutely not being used." Israeli officials insist this is just smoke used to mask Israeli movements on the ground. Home rights activists believe the Israeli Defense Forces are using white phosphorus -- an incendiary material that can badly burn anyone in its path.FRED ABRAHAMS, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: But in populated, closed areas, as in Gaza, where civilians can be affected from the burning particles, then it raises very, very serious concerns.
