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Human Rights Watch, an international non-governmental organization that advocates for human rights, said Thursday that it had concluded Israel used white phosphorus in military operations in Lebanon and Gaza this week.
In a statement, HRW said it had verified videos from Oct. 10 and 11 showing “multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border” in addition to interviewing two witnesses to the Gaza attack.
White phosphorus can cause severe burns and long-term health impacts on victims, and using it as a weapon in highly populous regions like Gaza violates international humanitarian laws, HRW said.