Israel would drop phosphorus bombs on Gaza – here’s what we know about it Because of a hug: Cristiano Ronaldo would be threatened with 99 lashes in Iran

It’s all about this

The Israeli army would use white phosphorus bombs in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Humans Right Watch reports this. In at least two cases on October 10 and 11, the human rights organization was able to verify relevant video footage and speak to witnesses to the attacks. Such bombs are said to have been dropped over the port of Gaza City and in two rural areas on the border with Lebanon.

This video is intended to show the use of phosphorus in the Israeli-Lebanese border area:

And this video is supposed to show the detonation of a phosphorus bomb over Gaza City:

What is white phosphorus and why is it so dangerous?

Bombs containing white phosphorus can have devastating effects. White phosphorus ignites at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius as soon as it comes into contact with oxygen and can then develop flames up to 1300 degrees. Therefore, contact can cause severe burns, which can also be fatal.

In addition to the extremely high temperature and the fact that white phosphorus is difficult to extinguish, burning the material also releases white smoke, which is very toxic. Even inhaling small amounts can cause a painful death for people. The toxic fumes cause serious damage to the body’s respiratory and metabolic systems within days.

White phosphorus is generally not used as a weapon of destruction, but mainly to produce smoke to mark targets or to create visibility-reducing fog and hinder the enemy.

So it could be a war crime

Israel is accused of a war crime based on the Human Rights Watch report. However, there is currently not enough information to support such a judgment, as Brian Castner, a weapons expert at Amnesty International, explained to the Washington Post. “We first need to know more about the intended target of this attack,” Castner said.

Because of the scattering effect and because the Gaza Strip is extremely densely populated, it is difficult when using phosphorus bombs to prevent people and objects from being damaged by the attacks that should not be hit in the first place. Israel would avoid this by using them. at least acceptable.

The use of white phosphorus against civilians is prohibited, as agreed in the Additional Protocols to the 1977 Geneva Conventions. The Geneva Conventions are part of international law and determine how persons not taking part in hostilities are to be protected in the event of an armed conflict.

Although Israel itself has not signed the protocol in question, the use of phosphorus bombs against civilians is clearly prohibited and considered a war crime under international law. The use of white phosphorus against military facilities is not banned, but is also controversial.

What does Israel say about this?

On Friday, Israel remained tight-lipped about the alleged use of phosphorus. In response to a Washington Post request to the Israeli military, it was initially vaguely stated that they were “currently not aware of the use of white phosphorus weapons in Gaza.” However, later in the afternoon there was a clear denial from the army. The accusation is ‘clearly false’. The Israeli army does not use these weapons.

Israel also called on Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip on Friday to leave the northern area and move south by midnight. Thousands of leaflets were dropped over the area. More than a million people would be affected by the evacuation. Israel’s call could be interpreted as a sign of an impending large-scale bombardment or ground offensive.

The United Nations (UN) opposed Israel’s call and immediately called on the country to withdraw it. The UN said the evacuation of more than a million people in such a short time would have devastating humanitarian consequences.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said “every effort will be made to prevent airstrikes from hitting sensitive targets such as hospitals.” Palestinian Hamas is reportedly preventing civilians from heeding calls to evacuate.

Where else phosphorus bombs were used

The use of phosphorus bombs has a long tradition. The British already used it in the two world wars, the US used phosphorus in the Vietnam War and in the fight against insurgents in the Iraq War in the early 2000s. Only in 2009 did the US also sign the corresponding additional protocol to the Geneva Conventions.

Israel has also used phosphorus in the past. For example in Lebanon in 2006 and also during conflicts with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 2008 and 2009. The Turkish army is also said to have used phosphorus in air strikes on Kurdish rebels.

Russia recently used phosphorus bombs in the war in Ukraine. During the siege of the Ukrainian Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Vladimir Putin’s army is believed to have resorted to phosphorus bombs, and there are also reports of their use in the currently disputed city of Avdiivka, in Vuhledar, Bakhmut and also in Kherson.

Videos with incorrect context on social media

Following the publication of the Human Rights Watch report, numerous videos of alleged Israeli phosphorus attacks on Gaza City circulated online. However, several of these were forgeries or images from other conflicts now attributed to Israel.

So far, only the two phosphorus deployments mentioned at the beginning in Gaza City and in the Lebanese-Israeli border area have been confirmed by various independent sources.

One of the fake posts – the video is from March and from the Ukrainian city of Vuhledar, when Russia attacked the city with incendiary ammunition.

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