Second, the use of felt wedges soaked in white phosphorous tends to further reduce dispersal of the substance and its incendiary side effects as compared to exploding munitions containing white phosphorous. A Palestinian man suffering from burns consistent with white phosphorus after Israel's 2009 attack on Gaza City. International watchdogs are calling the Israeli use of white phosphorus shells in Gaza a "war crime." First, the munitions were used only for the purpose for which they were designed, i.e. Yet in Gaza Israeli forces repeatedly fired them into densely populated residential areas, knowing that such imprecise weapons would kill and injure civilians. The IDF took several precautions and other measures that were appropriate with respect to these particular munitions. The non-lethal nature of smoke screens when compared to the effect of explosive munitions was particularly important, given that Hamas and other terrorist organisations sought to blend in with the civilian population, making it difficult or impossible to use explosive munitions without inflicting substantial civilian casualties. Israel has insisted that its use of white phosphorus in the conflict was permitted under international law and that it sought to avoid unnecessary civilian deaths in Gaza. Although neither the US nor Israel has signed on to these conventions, both generally abide by their admonitions. January 19. The second and main type of munitions containing white phosphorous employed by the IDF during the Gaza Operation was smoke screening projectiles.These shells contained relatively small amounts of white phosphorous and were used exclusively to create smoke screens for military requirements, such as camouflaging armoured forces from anti-tank squads deployed by Hamas in Gaza’s urban areas. During these aggressive wars, the Israeli military used a number of American-made forbidden weapons: White Phosphorus, GBU-39 Shells, DIME bombs, Flechette Shells, Vacuum bombs, and Scandium 64 Aerosol. .css-8h1dth-Link{font-family:ReithSans,Helvetica,Arial,freesans,sans-serif;font-weight:700;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;}.css-8h1dth-Link:hover,.css-8h1dth-Link:focus{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Read about our approach to external linking. necessarily constitute a violation. Israel acknowledges that civilians may have been harmed by the munition although it questions the reliability of such reports, stating that “There appears to be insufficient evidence to conclude that white phosphorous caused extensive injuries to civilians in the course of the Gaza Operation.” While acknowledging that some civilian structures may have caught fire as a result of the shells, it notes that out of thousands of these projectiles fired, each containing 116 wedges, the damage was not excessive. Israel has acknowledged for the first time that it attacked Hezbollah targets during the second Lebanon war with phosphorus shells. The Israeli report discusses several incidents involving the use of white phosphorus near hospitals and schools where it claims Hamas fighters and rocket teams were engaging Israeli forces from within or in close proximity of these civilian sites. The use of incendiary weapons in civilian areas is proscribed by conventions. (Jerusalem) - Israel's repeated firing of white phosphorus shells over densely populated areas of Gaza during its recent military campaign was indiscriminate and … Playing next. The following research article … The still unanswered question is how many Palestinian casualties were caused by white phosphorus and how severe were most of these casualties. Le Hamas a lancé des bombes au phosphore depuis la bande de Gaza vers Israël en 2010 [26], [27]. Human Rights Watch said Israel "deliberately or recklessly" used white phosphorus shells in violation of the laws of war, causing "needless civilian deaths". VideoThe new âNigerian princesâ of hacking? The Israeli report on July 29 examines many of the incidents described by the Amnesty International report and offers contradictory information. The Times first accused Israeli forces of using white phosphorus on January 5, but the IDF has denied the charge repeatedly. It was launched from artillery shells in air-burst mode, which aggravated already devastating consequences of the attacks. During the offensive, Israel used white phosphorus rounds in densely populated areas, the UN and Human Rights Watch said. A protocol to the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons bans the use of white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon against civilian populations or in air attacks against enemy forces in civilian areas. Ashkenazi announces IDF commision of inquiry to determine whether white phosophorus has been used. Report. Israel has admitted for the first time to “using munitions containing white phosphorus” during its offensive on the Gaza Strip in December 2008 and January 2009. WP White Phosphorus over Gaza ? Most of the Israeli military's white phosphorus in Gaza was fired in 155mm artillery shells, each containing 116 wedges soaked with the chemical. Against this objective, one must weigh the anticipated risk of harm to civilians and property from the use of smoke munitions, which are designed to be a non-lethal type of munition. It criticizes the use of airbursts to disseminate the white phosphorus. Browse more videos. Skip to content. The Israeli report takes the opposite view stating: Some have suggested that IDF could have used less harmful munitions, or used the munitions in a less harmful manner, to achieve the same military objective, for example, by using smoke munitions without white phosphorous or by firing the munitions as ground-burst rather than air-burst projectiles. Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli incursion into Gaza from Dec. 27, 2008 to Jan. 18, 2009, prompted Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, two prominent human rights groups, to accuse Israel of committing war crimes. The obscurant smoke shells were used by the IDF for military purposes only (, For more information on Amnesty International’s history of charging Israel with crimes review. However, neither of these alternatives provides the same military advantages… Targeting the munitions at the ground rather than exploding them high in the air would fail to achieve the area of dispersal required for military purposes and would actually result in much more severe damage to buildings and persons on the ground. Palestinian media reported Tuesday night the detonation of white phosphorous bombs to illuminate the sky over the Gaza Strip as Israel Air Force jets were reportedly flying overhead. 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But-but-but what about this? A second component of the charges against Israel involves the broader question of proportionality. The Israeli report exposes examples of duplicity on the part of Hamas. Against this objective, one must weigh the anticipated risk of harm to civilians and property from the use of smoke munitions, which are designed to be a non-lethal type of munition. This difference in tone and process between Israeli investigations and the reports issued by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch has been evident after every round of conflict between Israel and its enemies. necessarily constitute a violation. The Israeli report discusses several incidents involving the use of white phosphorus near hospitals and schools where it claims Hamas fighters and rocket teams were engaging Israeli forces from within or in close proximity of these civilian sites. A few anecdotal incidents cannot establish whether these casualties were unfortunate rare incidents or representative of a pattern of indiscriminate use. This is not the first time Israel has been accused of using phosphorous bombs in crowded civilian areas in Gaza. You saw for yourself: The felt wedges of white phosphorus smoke shells are often harmless ashes even before they hit the ground. Rights groups condemned Israel's use of white phosphorus during the Gaza conflict because of its severely harmful effects on civilians. The Israeli report also discusses in detail the Tel al-Hawa school incident in which white phosphorus filaments apparently set fire to civilian structures. While it may be tempting for critics of Israel’s military operation to discount the rebuttal offered by Israel, the longstanding bias against Israel exhibited by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch does not offer an objective source to examine the facts. “Experiencing the attack on the school was more difficult for me than the attack on the house. 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This difference in tone and process between Israeli investigations and the reports issued by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch has been evident after every round of conflict between Israel and its enemies. For example, an ambulance medic reported killed by an Israeli strike was later interviewed apparently alive and well. Claims made in the Amnesty International report that witnesses saw no Hamas fighters in an area that was hit by white phosphorus are of dubious credibility considering the control Hamas still exerts over Gazans. It can also be used as an incendiary device against enemy positions. Claims made in the Amnesty International report that witnesses saw no Hamas fighters in an area that was hit by white phosphorus are of dubious credibility considering the control Hamas still exerts over Gazans. One clear difference between the Israeli report and the Amnesty International report is the tone in which it is written. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the group took control of the enclave, but reached a tentative truce in late 2018 that was renewed after successive flare-ups last year. If burning white phosphorus lands on a person's skin, it can go through to the bone. In other words, while Amnesty International claims air-bursting impregnated filaments showed flagrant disregard for the safety of civilians, Israel claims just the opposite is the case. Phosphorus has many shapes, forms, and uses as we’ve stated previously in our article on the topic of a possible looming phosphorous shortage.Though not all forms of phosphorus are harmful, we’ll be focusing on a nefarious form of phosphorus: white phosphorus. found “indisputable evidence of widespread use of white phosphorus in densely populated residential areas in Gaza City and in the north.” In a statement, it said its investigators “saw streets and alleyways littered with evidence of the use of white phosphorus, including still-burning wedges and the remnants of the shells and canisters fired by the Israeli Army.” It called such use a likely war crime and demanded a full international investigation. The non-lethal nature of smoke screens when compared to the effect of explosive munitions was particularly important, given that Hamas and other terrorist organisations sought to blend in with the civilian population, making it difficult or impossible to use explosive munitions without inflicting substantial civilian casualties. While it may be tempting for critics of Israel’s military operation to discount the rebuttal offered by Israel, the longstanding bias against Israel exhibited by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch does not offer an objective source to examine the facts. …In the case of smoke munitions containing white phosphorous, the expected military benefit was that they would protect Israeli forces from attack: a compelling military objective. It says shells will be replaced with types based completely on gas, which will create the same effect. The non-lethal nature of smoke screens when compared to the effect of explosive munitions was particularly important, given that Hamas and other terrorist organisations sought to blend in with the civilian population, making it difficult or impossible to use explosive munitions without inflicting substantial civilian casualties. The heavy reliance by Amnesty International (and Human Rights Watch as well) on anecdotal incidents does not answer that question. to create smoke screens, rather than to attack personnel or destroy buildings, purposes for which IDF has a variety of more effective munitions. The Amnesty International Report July 2009, Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis, Ignited white phosphorus is used to create a smoke screen to conceal the movement of ground troops. Targeting the munitions at the ground rather than exploding them high in the air would fail to achieve the area of dispersal required for military purposes and would actually result in much more severe damage to buildings and persons on the ground. Article I further expressly excludes from its purview munitions which may have incidental incendiary effects, such as illuminants, tracers, smoke or signalling systems. White phosphorus grenades were used in Vietnam for destroying Viet Cong tunnel complexes as they would burn up all oxygen and suffocate the enemy soldiers sheltering inside. Third, the smoke projectiles were employed using delay fuses which release the felt components of the projectile at a distance of at least 100 metres above the ground. .css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link{color:inherit;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:focus,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:focus{color:#B80000;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link::after,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited::after{content:'';position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;z-index:2;}Pfizer vaccine judged safe for use in UK next week. The Israeli report also contradicts Amnesty International’s assertion that “Israeli forces continued to employ the same tactics for the entire duration of the 22 day offensive.” Israel stated that it changed the protocol for using the weapon after a Jan. 15 incident: … after reports of an incident on 15 January 2009 during combat in Tel al-Hawa in which white phosphorous smoke projectiles set fire to a UNRWA warehouse, an IDF directive was issued, effective through the end of the Gaza Operation, establishing a safety buffer of several hundred metres from sensitive sites when using smoke projectiles. Against this objective, one must weigh the anticipated risk of harm to civilians and property from the use of smoke munitions, which are designed to be a non-lethal type of munition. Greenslade Times vindicated over Israel's use of white phosphorus in Gaza The Times has been vindicated for running stories about the use by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) of white phophorus. Each shell ejected over a hundred felt wedges impredgnated with highly incendiary white phosphorus, which rained down over houses and streets…. In other words, while Amnesty International claims air-bursting impregnated filaments showed flagrant disregard for the safety of civilians, Israel claims just the opposite is the case. It concludes that the “scope of casualties and damage” resulting from their use was “relatively limited compared to the significant military advantage gained by smoke-screening.” Israel’s line of argument is consonant with the fact sheet of the American Federation of Scientists which allows that if structures catch fire inadvertently, that does not The Israeli report on July 29 examines many of the incidents described by the Amnesty International report and offers contradictory information. Second, the use of felt wedges soaked in white phosphorous tends to further reduce dispersal of the substance and its incendiary side effects as compared to exploding munitions containing white phosphorous. He monitors news coverage, academic studies, school curriculum about Israel and documentaries on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Amnesty International report expresses full confidence in its accusations even though the evidence is controversial and the credibility of witness testimonies questionable under existing circumstances. Israeli army 'using white phosphorus' - 12 Jan 08 - YouTube The Israeli report discusses several incidents involving the use of white phosphorus near hospitals and schools where it claims Hamas fighters and rocket teams were engaging Israeli forces from within or in close proximity of these civilian sites. Amnesty International apparently disagrees, stating: International humanitarian law prohibits the use of incendiary weapons against civilians. On January 22, 2009 the New York Times reported. To review the actual reports see the links below: Stay up to date by following us on social media: Did Israel’s Use of White Phosphorus Constitute a War Crime? As the Israeli reports points out, Some have suggested that IDF could have used less harmful munitions, or used the munitions in a less harmful manner, to achieve the same military objective, for example, by using smoke munitions without white phosphorous or by firing the munitions as ground-burst rather than air-burst projectiles. The non-lethal nature of smoke screens when compared to the effect of explosive munitions was particularly important, given that Hamas and other terrorist organisations sought to blend in with the civilian population, making it difficult or impossible to use explosive munitions without inflicting substantial civilian casualties. April 22. The Geneva Treaty of 1980 stipulates that white phosphorus should not be used as a weapon of war in civilian areas, but there is no blanket ban under international law on its use as a smokescreen or for illumination. The restrictions on the use of incendiary weapons under Protocol III (relating to Incendiary Weapons) to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (“CCW Protocol III”) does not apply to weapons whose intended purpose is to create smoke screens. Amnesty International has also produced a film clip accusing Israel of recklessly using white phosphorus. It further asserts that military necessity required its use in densely populated areas, because this is where Hamas fighters congregated and threatened Israeli troops. The new âNigerian princesâ of hacking? The heavy reliance by Amnesty International (and Human Rights Watch as well) on anecdotal incidents does not answer that question. I heard Ansam cry ‘I am wounded in my head’. The charge against American troops received extensive publicity after an Italian documentary film, “The Hidden Massacre” claimed that white phosphorus was used not only as a smoke system but also as an incendiary anti-personnel weapon. In particular, Amnesty International criticizes the manner in which Israel deployed the shells. The heavy reliance by Amnesty International (and Human Rights Watch as well) on anecdotal incidents does not answer that question. The still unanswered question is how many Palestinian casualties were caused by white phosphorus and how severe were most of these casualties. White phosphorus munitions were used extensively in Korea, Vietnam and later by Russian forces in First Chechen War and Second Chechen War. Claims made in the Amnesty International report that witnesses saw no Hamas fighters in an area that was hit by white phosphorus are of dubious credibility considering the control Hamas still exerts over Gazans. The Amnesty International report expresses full confidence in its accusations even though the evidence is controversial and the credibility of witness testimonies questionable under existing circumstances. As the Israeli reports points out The obscurant smoke shells were used by the IDF for military purposes only (e.g. Artillery in general and white phosphorus in particular should never be used in populated areas. to create smoke screens, rather than to attack personnel or destroy buildings, purposes for which IDF has a variety of more effective munitions. For example, an ambulance medic reported killed by an Israeli strike was later interviewed apparently alive and well. At the moment that the bombing of the school started I was in a classroom with my children. For example, an ambulance medic reported killed by an Israeli strike was later interviewed apparently alive and well. The Israeli report also discusses in detail the Tel al-Hawa school incident in which white phosphorus filaments apparently set fire to civilian structures. Furthermore, air-bursting the munitions at a considerable distance above ground meant that it was less likely that any person or building would be harmed by the explosions. 'No corners cut' in vaccine approval, regulator says, 'One boy stood out to me - he's now my son', 'I wake up wondering if I still have a job', Why it feels like a government without a majority, 'We've lost a day of trade' over lockdown end date. Such attacks were indiscriminate and as such unlawful under international law. Covid-19: Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine approved for use next week in UK, Trump pardons: US justice department unveils bribery inquiry, Trump inciting violence, warns Georgia election official, China #MeToo: Court to hear landmark case of intern versus TV star, Jozsef Szajer: Hungary MEP quits after allegedly fleeing gay orgy, Nike's diversity advert causing a backlash in Japan, Conception boat fire: Captain charged over 34 deaths in California, Elliot Page: Juno star announces he is transgender, Slack sold to business software giant for $27.7bn, Mick Schumacher to join Haas for 2021 season. A second component of the charges against Israel involves the broader question of proportionality. The Israeli report discusses several incidents involving the use of white phosphorus near hospitals and schools where it claims Hamas fighters and rocket teams were engaging Israeli forces from within or in close proximity of these civilian sites. M110A1 155mm White Phosphorus (WP) Projectile. There is no evidence that Israel intentionally used white phosphorus as an anti-personnel incendiary weapon, but Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch claim that Israel was reckless and showed wanton disregard for innocent life by using it in densely populated regions where civilians could be harmed by it. The Amnesty International report either denies that fighters were present or argues that the presence of fighters among the civilians obligates Israel to refrain from using indiscriminate weapons. This method (as opposed to the use of contact fuses), is consistent with the use of the projectiles for smoke-screening purposes only. The accusations against Israel are similar to those lodged against American troops fighting in Fallujah in 2004. Rain of Fire Israel's Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza I. However, neither of these alternatives provides the same military advantages…. Against this objective, one must weigh the anticipated risk of harm to civilians and property from the use of smoke munitions, which are designed to be a non-lethal type of munition. The IRC web site published a statement on Jan. 17, 2009 in which it states that it has not determined whether Israel’s use of white phosphorus was legal or not. It criticizes the use of airbursts to disseminate the white phosphorus. Stotsky lectures widely about Middle East media coverage and was interviewed on CNN about the topic. The report gives short shrift to Israeli rebuttals of the charge, leaving the impression that the accusations, down to the details, are established fact. The Amnesty International report either denies that fighters were present or argues that the presence of fighters among the civilians obligates Israel to refrain from using indiscriminate weapons. Israel's army said Thursday that it would soon halt its use of white phosphorus shells after years of international criticism for using the incendiary munitions in crowded Palestinian areas. The web site contains no further update to this original statement. Israel acknowledges that civilians may have been harmed by the munition although it questions the reliability of such reports, stating that “There appears to be insufficient evidence to conclude that white phosphorous caused extensive injuries to civilians in the course of the Gaza Operation.” While acknowledging that some civilian structures may have caught fire as a result of the shells, it notes that out of thousands of these projectiles fired, each containing 116 wedges, the damage was not excessive. While it may be tempting for critics of Israel’s military operation to discount the rebuttal offered by Israel, the longstanding bias against Israel exhibited by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch does not offer an objective source to examine the facts.