According to a report by Human Rights Watch, one Israeli civilian was killed and a dozen were injured after Hezbollah rained cluster rockets down on villages near Haifa.

The rockets are believed to have been supplied to Hezbollah by Syria or Iran. Israeli police believe that 113 of the projectiles landed in northern Israel during the conflict.

Israel’s use of cluster bombs has been criticised by governments and human rights groups. The Israelis are accused of carpeting areas of southern Lebanon with one million bomblets. Many failed to explode and 20 people have since been killed when they were detonated accidentally.

Although the weapons were designed to be used against massed infantry and armour, in Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, Afghanistan and now Israel they have been dropped on mainly civilian areas. Britain, America, China and Russia are likely to oppose any restrictions on the use of cluster weapons.

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