Human Rights Watch has called on Israel to stop using white phosphorus which it says has been used in military operations in the densely populated Gaza Strip.

The US-based group said that its researchers observed the use of the chemical, which can burn away human flesh to the bone, over Gaza City and Jabaliya on Friday and Saturday.

"We went by Israeli artillery units that had white phosphorus rounds with the fuses in them," Marc Garlasco, a senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera.

"Clearly it is [white phosphorus], we can tell by the explosions and the tendrils that go down [and] the fires that were burning," he said.

"Today there were massive attacks in Jabaliya when we were there. We saw that there were numerous fires once the white phosphorus had gone in."

'Obscurant'

International law permits the use of white phopshorus as an "obscurant" to cover troop movements and prevent enemies from using certain guided weapons, but its use is controversial as it can injure people through painful chemical burns.


"Even if they are using it as an obscurant, they are using it in a very densely populated area," Garlasco said.

"The problem is it covers such a wide area that when the white phosphorus wafers come down, over 100 in each artillery shell, they burn everything they touch and they don't stop burning until they are done.

"You are talking about skin damage, potentially homes going on fire, damage to infrastructure."

Human Rights Watch said that it believed the use of the chemical in Gaza violated the requirement under international humanitarian law to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injury and loss of life.

The Israeli military has previously denied using white phosphorus during the 15-day offensive in the Gaza Strip, but has said that any munitions that it does use comply with international law.

Israel used white phophorus during its 34-day war against Lebanon's Hezbollah movement in 2006, while the United States used it during the controversial siege of the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004

Typical of you to use a deliberately misleading title. What Chemical weapons are being used in Gaza?

Hundreds of thousands are marching in protest in Syria, Iran, Egypt et al. Shame your courage only extends to posting wildly exaggerated reports on a public forum.

Learn the difference between chemical weapons and M825A1 155mm artillery smoke shells

Lord have mercy with these kinds of shoddy reporting.

lagos boy!
from isreal shelling 100 and killing 30 people in a one bedroom apartment to using white phosphorus
when will u quit your shoddy journalism?

davidylan:

Learn the difference between chemical weapons and M825A1 155mm artillery smoke shells

Lord have mercy with these kinds of shoddy reporting.

If i didnt know you used to be good in chemistry i would have said your just a dumb goat.

Now what is the component of the jargon M825A1 bla bla bla you wrote here. Is it water or salt, Israel is using white phosphorus and i saw live pictures of this white smoke. The Norwegian doctor in Gaza also butressed this point as they are seeing injuries and burns consistent with white phosphorus White phosporus should not be used in a densly populated area not to talk of 1.5 million people in a 25 mile by 7 mile place. Using it like this is a war crime

Mark Regev hasnt denied it, The israel military has not denied it.

So what the hell are you writing here.

bluespice:

lagos boy!
from isreal shelling 100 and killing 30 people in a one bedroom apartment to using white phosphorus
when will u quit your shoddy journalism?

Have i said anything untrue, by the way you are on mute.

Lagosboy:

If i didnt know you used to be good in chemistry i would have said your just a dumb goat.

Now what is the component of the jargon M825A1 bla bla bla you wrote here. Is it water or salt, Israel is using white phosphorus and i saw live pictures of this white smoke. The Norwegian doctor in Gaza also butressed this point as they are seeing injuries and burns consistent with white phosphorus White phosporus should not be used in a densly populated area not to talk of 1.5 million people in a 25 mile by 7 mile place. Using it like this is a war crime

Mark Regev hasnt denied it, The israel military has not denied it.

So what the hell are you writing here.

Do you know the meaning of "smoke shells"? Its meant to create a harmless smoke screen to protect soldiers. Planes use it to decieve and avoid anti-aircraft fire.

Go do some reading bro . . . here is a statement from the Red Cross today

ICRC: Israel's use of white phosphorus not illegal

Lagosboy:

If i didnt know you used to be good in chemistry i would have said your just a dumb goat.

Now what is the component of the jargon M825A1 bla bla bla you wrote here. Is it water or salt, Israel is using white phosphorus and i saw live pictures of this white smoke. The Norwegian doctor in Gaza also butressed this point as they are seeing injuries and burns consistent with white phosphorus White phosporus should not be used in a densly populated area not to talk of 1.5 million people in a 25 mile by 7 mile place. Using it like this is a war crime

Mark Regev hasnt denied it, The israel military has not denied it.

So what the hell are you writing here.

Mads Gilbert as an "impartial observer"? this guy na wa.

The Red Cross has refuted their lies . . .

cry cry baby

I thought Hamas wanted war and Israel is giving it to them in equal measure.

Hamas started it and Israel would end the war on its own terms.

"White phosphorus" are bad but suicide Bombers are good weapons according to Hamas and their supporters

dayokanu:

I thought Hamas wanted war and Israel is giving it to them in equal measure.

Hamas started it and Israel would end the war on its own terms.

"White phosphorus" are bad but suicide Bombers are good weapons according to Hamas and their supporters

@Dayokanu
It has been established that Israel broke the ceasfire and refused to extend the ceasfire on the condition of easing the blockade.

i dont understand it when you keep saying Hamas started this.

Please Dayo does the killing of 330 children make you feel happy or bad. Can you please answer without making reference to Hamas cos those kids aint hamas fighters.

Can you also tell me if the Shelling of a UN school which civilians ran to make u feel bad - 43 women and children were killed. Those killed werent hamas fighters.

Can you just honestly tell me if the shelling of a house that IDF told civilians to gather there and killing 30 makes you feel bad. Those civilians werent Hamas.

Now i accept Israel has the right to defend itself but can you tell me if a people have the right to resist occupation?

@lagosboy,

I have seen videos where the Hamas leader was calling people to use themselves as human shield on his house.

When Hamas make civilians to die on both sides either as victims of suicide attack or as human shield, I saddens me.

How wicked can people be!!!!.

I am sure if an armed robber attacks your house, Lagosboy would push his children in the line of fire.

Lagosboy:

Now i accept Israel has the right to defend itself but can you tell me if a people have the right to resist occupation?

1. What "occupation" exactly are the Gazans fighting for?

2. If Israel has a right to defend itself and HAMAS has a "right" to resist a non-existent occupation then why dont we just sit back and watch them obliterate each other. The winner has won the right to stay alive.

davidylan:

1. What "occupation" exactly are the Gazans fighting for?

2. If Israel has a right to defend itself and HAMAS has a "right" to resist a non-existent occupation then why dont we just sit back and watch them obliterate each other. The winner has won the right to stay alive.

It’s quite obvious that your academic claptrap above says very little except for the fact that it shows you've read something about the subject on the internet but still don’t get it

****sigh**** why some humans like you need to hate in order to keep your so called intelligence busy?