Israel 'using white phosphorus'
in Gaza
12/01/2009
White phophorus, fired in a shell, can be used to hide
troop movements or illuminate targets [AFP]
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.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/2009110181945232797.html