Human Rights Watch: Israel Used White Phosphorus Munitions in Gaza and Lebanon

Facts

• Israel has used white phosphorus munitions in recent attacks on both Gaza and Lebanon, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report issued Thursday.¹
• While the use of white phosphorus — a self-igniting chemical that burns at extremely high temperatures — is permitted under international law when used on battlefields, its use against a civilian population is considered a war crime.²
• HRW said it had 'verified videos taken in Lebanon and Gaza on October 10 and 11, 2023, respectively, showing multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border.' It added that it had interviewed two people in Gaza whose descriptions of the strikes were consistent with the use of white phosphorus.¹
• The Washington Post also reported that it had verified the video from Gaza which appeared to show white phosphorus use. However, after approaching the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment, the IDF said they 'are currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus in Gaza.'³
• Meanwhile, Israel on Friday issued an order to all civilians living in Gaza City and in the north of the Gaza Strip to evacuate, prompting speculation Israel is preparing to launch a ground invasion. The UN said the order affects 1.1M people, adding that it was 'impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.'⁴
• Elsewhere, ahead of a meeting with US Sec. of State Antony Blinken, Palestinian Pres. Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement condemning attacks on civilians from both sides of the conflict. Abbas — who is not affiliated with Hamas, but has taken criticism for not condemning its actions — said: 'We reject the practices of killing civilians or abusing them on both sides because they contravene morals, religion and international law.'⁵

Sources: ¹Human Rights watch, ²Newsweek, ³Washington Post, ⁴Al Jazeera and ⁵Reuters.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Washington Post. White phosphorus has legitimate military uses. More details — such as the intended target of the alleged attacks as well as the accuracy of these reports — need to be established before we rush to the conclusion that Israel is committing war crimes.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Human Rights Watch. Gaza is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Israel's use of white phosphorus is clearly a war crime in this context, violating international law on unnecessarily putting civilians at risk of harm.

Predictions