An Israeli tank drives toward the Israeli southern border with the Gaza Strip on October 9, 2023 near Sderot, Israel.
Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images
Human Rights Watch has confirmed that Israel used white phosphorus in military operations in Gaza and along the Israel-Lebanon border.
White phosphorus is a chemical that ignites when it’s exposed to oxygen and causes severe burns when it comes in contact with human skin.
It can also “set structures, fields, and other civilian objects in the vicinity on fire,” HRW said, adding that it had verified two videos depicting Israel’s use of white phosphorus.
Human Rights Watch confirmed on Thursday that Israel used white phosphorus in military operations in the Gaza Strip and along the Israel-Lebanon border.
White phosphorus is a chemical that ignites when it’s exposed to oxygen and can cause severe burns when it comes into contact with human skin. It can also “set structures, fields, and other civilian objects in the vicinity on fire,” HRW said.
The organization said it confirmed the veracity of two videos depicting the use of white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and rural areas along Israel’s border with Lebanon.
Israel’s use of white phosphorus comes as it mounts a heavy response to Hamas’ deadly terror attacks in the south of Israel on Saturday.
White phosphorus is classified as an incendiary munition because it works using heat, as opposed to chemical weapons, which operate by toxicity.
In addition to verifying the two videos, HRW also interviewed two people who described the use of the munitions over Gaza.
The use of white phosphorus in populated civilian areas is a violation of international humanitarian law, and HRW said it believes the IDF’s deployment of white phosphorus over Gaza was unlawful.
“Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering,” Lama Fakih, the Middle East and North Africa director at HRW, said in a report published by the organization. “White phosphorous is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians.”
It’s not the first time Israel has been accused of using white phosphorus in Gaza. HRW also published a report in 2009 saying that the IDF made “extensive use” of the incendiary bombs in a 22-day military operation in Gaza and deployed them over densely populated neighborhoods, killing and wounding civilians, and hitting buildings including a school, a hospital, and a humanitarian aid warehouse.
As of Thursday, Israeli officials said 1,300 people had died as a result of the Hamas terror attacks and 2,800 were wounded. Militants also kidnapped 100-150 people, including women, children, and the elderly, and are holding them hostage in Gaza, authorities said.
Since Israel launched its counteroffensive in Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry said that 1,417 Gazans have died and 6,200 are wounded. Nearly one-third of those who died were children.
In addition to its military response, Israel cut off the supply of food, water, fuel, and electricity to Gaza, a move that some human rights advocates say is a violation of international law. It’s also mobilizing for a ground operation that could further decimate the civilian population in Gaza.
Gaza’s health system is also at a breaking point as it strains to stay functional with no access to electricity, officials and humanitarian aid groups said. The International Red Cross warned that if Israel’s retaliatory strikes continue, then hospitals in the region could soon “turn into morgues.”