Israel has used white phosphorus in its continuing military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, putting civilians at serious risk, Human Rights Watch has said, following an investigation. HRW said the use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas violates Israel’s obligation under international law to take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians. “There are legitimate uses of white phosphorus, for marking and screening, but they are very, very few,” Castner told Al Jazeera. “The current accusation made against the IDF [Israeli military] regarding the use of white phosphorus in Gaza is unequivocally false,” it said in a statement. Israel used white phosphorus extensively during its bombardment of Gaza in 2009, drawing widespread condemnation.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 13, 2023 16:13 UTC