Human Rights Watch on Thursday said Israel has used 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.
Human Rights Watch said it verified footage taken in Lebanon and Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, showing multiple uses of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel has been bombarding Gaza killing at least 1,500 Palestinians since Saturday.
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.
Human Rights Watch also interviewed two people who described an attack in Gaza, the rights group said.
HRW said the use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas violates Israel’s obligation under international law to take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians.
“Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering,” Lama Fakih, HRW’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement on Wednesday.
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The military at the time did not say whether it would also review use of weaponized white phosphorus, which is designed to incinerate enemy positions.
“White phosphorus is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians.”
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.
What is white phosphorus?
It’s a chemical made from phosphate rocks. In solid form, it has a waxy texture and a garlic-like odor. It may be white or yellow in color, or clear (colorless).
White phosphorus is extremely toxic to humans. It can also be quite unstable. In some forms, it catches fire at just 10-15 degrees above room temperature in reaction to oxygen.
Manufacturers use white phosphorus to make products like computer chips, metal alloys, fertilizer, glow-in-the-dark paint, rat poison, and fireworks.
Some manufacturers and governments also use it to make military ammunition, including bombs.
How do white phosphorus bombs work?
White phosphorus bombs are incendiary weapons. That means that along with their destructive explosive power, they can spread fire.
In this case, the fire is made from burning phosphorus, which burns at about 1,500 F. White phosphorus bombs can spread this fire over an area up to several hundred square yards. And the phosphorus continues to burn until it is all gone. All it requires is the presence of oxygen, which is in the air.
White phosphorus bombs can cause injuries that are more serious and harder to treat than injuries from conventional bombs. Medical professionals need special training to deal with these types of injuries and to protect themselves from phosphorus burns during treatment.
How do white phosphorus bombs affect humans?
White phosphorus bombs can have a worse effect on human health than other weapons of similar explosive power.
On the skin, white phosphorus causes very painful burns that may be second-degree (partial thickness of skin) to third-degree (full thickness of skin). The burns typically have a yellowish color and a garlic-like odor. You may notice smoke coming from the injury as the white phosphorus continues to burn.
In addition, because white phosphorus dissolves easily in fat, it gets absorbed easily through the skin and into the body, where it can cause other serious symptoms.
In fact, burns from white phosphorus on less than 10% of your body could lead to death because of damage to the kidneys, liver, and heart.
In addition, white phosphorus can cause serious injury and death if you inhale or swallow it.
