Israel has been charged by Human Rights Watch with employing white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, claiming that doing so exposes civilians to significant and lasting harm.
Israel’s military declined to comment on the claims, stating that it was “at this time not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus in Gaza.”
Israel has been shelling Gaza in retaliation for Hamas attack on southern Israel.
There have been at least 1,500 Palestinian deaths. Israel and Hezbollah of Lebanon have also exchanged insults.
The recordings, according to Human Rights Watch, show “multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border” on October 10 and 11, respectively.
Israel’s military in 2013 said it was phasing out white phosphorus smokescreen munitions used during its 2008-2009 offensive in Gaza, which drew war crimes allegations from various rights groups.
The military at the time did not say whether it would also review use of weaponised white phosphorous.
White phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon under Protocol III of the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons.
The protocol prohibits using incendiary weapons against military targets located among civilians.
