White Phosphorus
Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza and Lebanon have raised serious concerns as Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported the use of white phosphorus. The HRW said it endangers civilians, based on their analysis of conflict-related videos.
HRW has confirmed that videos taken in Lebanon and Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday illustrate the repeated deployment of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural areas along the Israel-Lebanon border.
The rights group has also conducted interviews with two individuals who recounted an attack in Gaza.
According to HRW, the utilization of white phosphorus in densely populated regions goes against Israel’s obligations under international law to take all possible precautions to prevent harm to civilians.
Lama Fakih, HRW’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, said, “Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering. White phosphorus is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians.”
The organization called for a complete ban on the use of “airburst” white phosphorus munitions in populated areas. White phosphorus, known for causing deep burns that can result in death or lifelong injuries, is used for creating smokescreens, marking targets, and incinerating enemy positions.
Although the use of white phosphorus in conflict zones is not entirely prohibited by international law, its use in proximity to civilians is restricted under the United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons, even though Israel is not a signatory to this convention.
Meanwhile, Israeli artillery continued its relentless bombardment of concealed targets, bombing Gaza, and firing munitions every 30 seconds.
Since launching strikes against Hamas targets on Saturday, around 6,000 munitions, carrying a total of 4,000 tonnes of explosives, have been unleashed upon Gaza.
The total death toll on both sides exceeded 3,000, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Positioned along the border near Netivot and Sderot, Israeli troops have deployed 150 mm artillery guns at close intervals. These towns were recently overrun by Hamas during a weekend offensive.
A military source cited by Syrian state media described the Israeli strikes as “simultaneous” and stated that they had “damaged landing strips at the two airports, rendering them inoperative.”
He suggested that this action was a “desperate” Israeli attempt to divert attention from the Gaza conflict.
Earlier, a journalist showed large-scale destruction in Gaza in the wake of Israeli attacks.
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An aerial view, in this video, also reveals massive destruction in the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israeli attacks in response to Hamas attacks.
Meanwhile, Hamas has released a video depicting the liberation of an Israeli woman and her children amid the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza. The footage was shot from a distance to ensure the anonymity of the woman and her children.
