Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the use of such weapons puts civilians at risk of serious and long-term injury.
Asked for comments, Israel’s military said it was “currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus in Gaza.” It did not provide comment on the rights watchdog’s allegations of their use in Lebanon.
Israel has been carrying out punitive bombing raids on Gaza in retaliation for a Hamas attack last weekend. At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. Israel has also traded barbs with Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
Human Rights Watch said it verified videos taken in Lebanon on Oct 10 and Gaza on Oct 11 showing “multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border”.
It provided links to two videos posted on social media that it said show “155mm white phosphorus artillery projectiles being used, apparently as smokescreens, marking, or signaling”. Both show scenes near the Israel-Lebanon border, it said.
What is white phosphorus? White phosphorous is a chemically complex and highly flammable weapon used for smoke screens, causing fire, and marking targets. It can burn the human body and cause other damages to the property.
As Gaza is a densely populated area, its use can pose a higher risk to human lives. Lama Fakih, the Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch said, “Whenever white phosphorus is deployed in densely populated civilian areas, it presents a substantial risk of agonising burns and enduring suffering. Airblasting white phosphorus in populated urban areas is indiscriminate and unlawful, as it can result in the destruction of homes and significant harm to civilians.”
Israel’s military in 2013 claimed it was phasing out white phosphorus smokescreen munitions used during its 2008-2009 offensive in Gaza, which drew war crimes allegations from various rights groups.
The military at the time did not say whether it would also review the use of weaponised white phosphorus, which is designed to incinerate enemy positions.
White phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon under Protocol III of the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons. The protocol prohibits using incendiary weapons against military targets located among civilians, although Israel has not signed it and is not bound by it.—INP
