Arab nations have also asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate the presence of uranium traces in victims of Israeli bombardment over the Gaza strip. However, Israel has hotly denied reports about the use of depleted uranium in this conflict, claiming that this is propaganda, and poor propaganda at that. It has also been reported that Israelis have used at least some interesting, innovative low-tech tactics effectively. For example, they are believed to have telephoned residents of Gaza and talked to them in suitably accented Arabic, pretending to be sympathetic Egyptians, Saudis, Jordanians or Libyans. This helped them to gather tactical intelligence.

Israeli forces not only worked on their offensive mechanisms, but also managed to update the protection of their own solders. Every Israeli soldier was outfitted with a ceramic vest and helmet; every unit had dogs trained to sniff out explosive charges and people hidden in tunnels, as well as combat engineers trained to defuse hidden bombs.

The weaponry aspect of the recent Israeli offensive clearly indicates that Israel does not develop weapons it does not intend to use. It trains and prepares for bloody battles; world opinion is always secondary.

The writer researches non-traditional threats to national security at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, Delhi

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