Israel Hands Over Cluster Bomb Maps to U.N. Force in Lebanon

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. peacekeeping chief says Israel has given the U.N. force in Lebanon maps of where it launched cluster bombs in the war with Hezbollah in 2006.

Alain Le Roy calls Israel's decision to hand over the maps an important step. The United Nations and opponents of the use of cluster munitions have pressed Israel for nearly three years to turn over the maps. They stress that innocent Lebanese were being killed by remaining explosives.

Le Roy told reporters Wednesday that the maps were being studied by U.N. and Lebanese technical experts.

Cluster bomblets are packed into artillery shells or bombs dropped from aircraft. The U.N. has estimated that Israel dropped as many as 4 million of the bomblets and perhaps 40 percent failed to explode on impact.