Israel used white phosphorus in Gaza, Lebanon: Human Rights Watch

Israel is using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations against Gaza and Lebanon, a report by Human Rights Watch said on Thursday, warning that the use of such weapons puts civilians at risk of serious and long-term injury.

The US-based rights group said it verified videos taken in Lebanon on 10 October and Gaza on 11 October, which showed "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".

The New Arab's correspondent in Gaza witnessed the use of white phosphorus on Wednesday.

قذائف فوسفورية حارقة يطلقها العدو الصهيوني بإتجاه سهل الماري ومزارع شبعا . pic.twitter.com/I71DcEu2jS

— علي شعيب || Ali Shoeib 🇱🇧 (@alishoeib1970) October 10, 2023

"Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering," Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at HRW said.

"White phosphorous is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians," she added.

Palestinian TV channels had broadcast videos in recent days showing thin plumes of white smoke lining the sky over Gaza that they say was caused by such munitions.

The Palestinian foreign ministry also claimed that Israel used phosphorus bombs in its attacks on populated areas in the besieged strip.

Asked for comment on the allegations, Israel's military alleged it was "currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus in Gaza", in comments to Reuters.

Israel has launched a relentless bombardment on Gaza, slammed by UN experts and leading rights groups for its indiscriminate nature.

The military campaign, which came after Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel on Saturday, killing an estimated 1,300 Israelis, has already killed 1,537 Palestinians, including at least 500 children, and wounded more than 6,612.

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.