Human Rights Watch says that Israel’s army is using white phosphorus bombs excessively in Gaza.The rights group said it had seen video and photos of white phosphorus bombs used by Israel in Gaza, confirming that Israel had used white phosphorus bombs in Gaza, specifically on the border with Lebanon and Gaza City. Used with port.
Human Rights Watch Middle East and North Africa director Lama Fakih said in a statement that the use of air-blasted white phosphorus bombs in populated and urban areas is illegal because it burns buildings and civilians.
Denying this statement by Human Rights Watch, Israel’s military has said that the Israeli military has not used any white phosphorus bombs in Gaza this week.
Furthermore, Israel’s army said that the talk of using white phosphorus bombs in Gaza is completely false.
This is an attempt to discredit Israel’s Defense Forces, although Human Beats Watch released the statement after confirming that Israel had used white phosphorus bombs in Gaza, which destroyed buildings in Israel.
Israel is acting stubbornly after using white phosphorus bombs.
what are white phosphorus bombs?
White phosphorus is a deadly chemical that burns the skin and disintegrates tissues deep within the body. It Ignites When exposed to Oxygen and continues to burn until it is deprived of Oxygen or exhausted.
Eyes
Flash burns can lead to vision impairment.
Inhalation
Inhaling the smoke can lead to respiratory distress.
Skin
Burns through its victims’ bodies.
The use of white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon in areas with civilian population is banned by the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.
What is white phosphorus?
White phosphorus is a waxy toxic substance that burns at 800 degrees Celsius to about 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. White phosphorus is so powerful that it can melt metal.
White phosphorus is used to further ignite the embers that are burning. Its ability to create a dense fog over similar areas has made white phosphorus the substance of choice for military smoke screens. This is thick smoke.
White phosphorus is often colorless white or yellow with a garlic-like odor.
Shells and gunpowder stored with white phosphorus become very difficult to salvage unless burned or exposed to oxygen, white phosphorus continues to ignite and cause damage.
The same artillery shells can also be used by rockets or grenades.
Is white phosphorus harmful to humans?
White phosphorus is so dangerous that its use can burn the human body and take it to the bone. The chemicals of this substance are absorbed into the body, which can cause damage to the liver, kidney, heart, and other organs of the human body.
The use of this chemical has a two-fold effect, firstly through burns, which can usually be quite severe and deep, and secondly, through metabolic effects that can lead to death in patients. I can take it. A small amount of potassium added to the metabolic syndrome can lead to heart failure.
If this chemical has been used on the skin and is not diagnosed by doctors, it can later cause organ damage to the patient, which can even kill the patient.
It is so harmful that phosphorous burns penetrate the skin and continue to spread and even reach the bone. Phosphorus must be washed off properly to minimize its effect on the body.
White phosphorus can stick to very surfaces like clothes. If we re-wear clothes with white phosphorus, they will stick to the skin and start burning the skin, so the clothes should be washed thoroughly so that If any chemicals are applied, they should be removed thoroughly so as not to damage the skin again.
If this chemical is present in the air and we breathe it, it can cause harm It can cause serious damage to the eyes, which can also make a person blind. If phosphorus gets into the eyes, the eyes become badly red.
Is white phosphorus banned?
White phosphorus is not banned by any international convention because it is not considered an incendiary weapon intended to ignite or burn, but is considered a multi-purpose weapon.
The 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons only prohibits the use of incendiary or other materials to attack civilian populations.
Burns or injuries caused by white phosphorus are considered incidental, allowing any military to argue that white phosphorus is just a smokescreen used to illuminate a signal or target.
The United States and Israel are not signatories to Protocol III and both countries say the use of white phosphorus is not illegal Its use is by international regulations.
In its manual on the laws of war, Israel said phosphorus is no different from light gasoline and what distinguishes it from chemical weapons is that it does not react against our human body.
Has Israel used white phosphorus in Gaza?
2009 HRW except for the most recent claim of use by HRW The report found that Israel had used large amounts of phosphorus in its previous operation in Gaza, which ran from December 27, 2008, to January 18, 2009.
But Israel has thus alternated between confirming and denying the use of these chemical munitions.
In 2009, an Israeli military spokesman first said that phosphorus was being used as a target, but later denied that white phosphorus was being used at all.
Israeli officials then ordered an investigation into the use of phosphorus, insisting that it was not in violation of international law if it was used.
According to HRW’s 2009 report, the Israeli army has repeatedly thrown white phosphorous into populated areas in Palestine, causing injuries to civilians in the area, even as the Israeli army destroyed a school, a market, and a humanitarian aid station. A warehouse and a hospital were also not spared from being targeted.
The report further states that the forces also had a non-lethal alternative weapon, but the white phosphorous air bursts in the Israeli army could be assumed to be non-lethal if the Israeli army was not even present. It was not used as an incendiary weapon to inflict maximum damage on the Palestinians.