Following the dramatic land-sea-air assault on Israel’s borders by the Palestinian group Hamas, videos appeared on social media suggesting that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) had used forbidden white phosphorus munitions in the highly populated region. Several photographs, videos, and social media reports say that Israeli forces are spraying white phosphorus on Gaza’s civilian population. For many years, Hamas has ruled the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian area under Israeli embargo.
What is white phosphorus?
The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet, with nearly two million people squeezed into a 362-square-kilometer strip of land. White phosphorus is a waxy, yellowish-to-clear compound that smells strongly of garlic. When exposed to air, it is a highly flammable compound that burns swiftly and brightly. It is used in incendiary weapons by forces all around the world, including the US, for a number of purposes, including illuminating targets at night or just inflicting damage on enemies.
This chemical reaction generates high heat (about 815 degrees Celsius), light, and dense white smoke, which armies utilize to create smokescreens in sensitive areas. White phosphorus can start fast-moving and broad-ground fires. Once ignited, the chemical is extremely difficult to extinguish since it adheres to a variety of surfaces, including skin and clothing. It is extremely hazardous to civilians since it can produce serious burns that penetrate deep into tissue and bone, and it can rekindle even after treatment.
Israel, no stranger to such claims, admits to using phosphorus shells against Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanon War
White phosphorous was first employed in military confrontations in the 1800s when Fenian or Irish nationalists used it against British soldiers. The phrase “Fenian fire” was coined by the Irish Republicans. It was employed by the British army in both World Wars. After entering Iraq, US forces used chemical weapons against rebels in Fallujah. Israel, no stranger to such claims, admits to using phosphorus shells against Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanon War. Several human rights organizations claimed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) deployed white phosphorous against civilians during the 2008-09 Gaza War, also known as Operation Cast Lead.
A major portion of the Syrian government, led by Bashar Al-Assad, has been accused of genocide. In the current conflict with Ukraine, the Russian Army is said to have deployed white phosphorus munitions. The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution in 1972 designating incendiary weapons as a “category of arms viewed with horror.”
“Incendiary weapons are weapons or munitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burn or respiratory injury to people through the action of flame, heat, or combination thereof, resulting from a chemical reaction of a flammable substance such as napalm or white phosphorus,” according to the U.N. In 1980, the international community agreed to prohibit or limit the use of certain weapons that cause excessive pain or harm to people. Protocol III of this agreement prohibits the employment of weapons that cause fires.
