White phosphorus explained: What is the chemical allegedly used in Gaza?
Israel has used white phosphorus in Gaza and in two rural locations near the border with Lebanon, Human Rights Watch alleged in a recently released report amid escalating conflict.
The allegation comes after Israel retaliated with airstrikes following a deadly attack by Hamas that started Oct. 7, which has left roughly 1,300 dead in Israel and more than 1,400 Palestinians dead in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
“Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering,” said Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).
“White phosphorous is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians.”
Global News has not independently verified the allegations made by Human Rights Watch in its report, and the Washington Post on Friday reported the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has denied using white phosphorous in Gaza.
Reuters also said the IDF called the allegation “unequivocally false.”
White phosphorus is a “colorless-to-white waxy” substance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state. It is dispersed using artillery shells, rockets or bombs, and can produce an intense amount of heat. The light, smoke and heat are often used in war zones to mask military operations and obscure the movement of troops.
White phosphorus munitions can legally be used on battlefields to make smoke screens, generate illumination, mark targets or burn bunkers and buildings, Reuters reported. Because it has legal uses, white phosphorus is not banned as a chemical weapon under international conventions.
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