Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, stating that the use of such weapons poses a serious and long-term risk to civilians. The organization reported on Thursday that it had verified videos captured in Lebanon on October 10 and Gaza on October 11, which show "multiple aerial explosions of white phosphorus fired by artillery over the city port of Gaza and sites along the Israeli-Lebanese border."
It provided links to two social media videos that allegedly show "the use of 155 millimeter white phosphorus artillery shells to obscure vision, mark locations, or send signals." The two videos depict scenes near the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Human Rights Watch determined based on verified video and witness accounts that Israeli forces used white phosphorus in military operations in Lebanon and Gaza on October 10 and 11, 2023, respectively.
The organization did not provide links to videos showing the use of white phosphorus in Gaza. However, Palestinian television channels broadcast a video in recent days showing thin columns of white smoke in the sky over the territory, claiming it was caused by such munitions.
The Israeli military stated in 2013 that it would gradually phase out white phosphorus munitions, which it had used during its 2008-2009 operation in Gaza, an action that had drawn accusations of war crimes from various human rights groups. White phosphorus is classified as an incendiary weapon under Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. The protocol prohibits the use of incendiary weapons against military objectives located within civilian populations, but Israel has not signed the treaty and is not bound by its stipulations.
