The Mahdi Times The Mahdi Times July 2014 | Page 6

Militaries use white phosphorus
primarily to obscure their operations
on the ground by creating thick
smoke. It can also be used as an
incendiary weapon. "In Gaza, the
Israeli military didn't just use white
phosphorus in open areas as a screen
for its troops," said Fred Abrahams,
senior emergencies researcher at
Human Rights Watch and co-author
of the report. "It fired white
phosphorus repeatedly over densely
populated areas, even when its troops
weren't in the area and safer smoke
shells were available. As a result,
civilians needlessly suffered and
died." The report documents a pattern
or policy of white phosphorus use
that Human Rights Watch says must
have required the approval of senior
military officers. "For the needless
civilian deaths caused by white
phosphorus, senior commanders
should be held to account,"
Abrahams said.
On February 1, Human Rights Watch
submitted detailed questions to the
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) about its
white phosphorus use in Gaza. The
IDF did not provide responses, citing
an internal inquiry being conducted
by the Southern Command.
In the recent Gaza operations, Israeli
forces frequently air-burst white
phosphorus in 155mm artillery shells
in and near populated areas. Each airburst shell spreads 116 burning white
phosphorus wedges in a radius
extending up to 125 meters from the
blast point. White phosphorus ignites

and burns on contact with oxygen,
and continues burning at up to 1500
degrees Fahrenheit (816 degrees
Celsius) until nothing is left or the
oxygen supply is cut. When white
phosphorus comes into contact with
skin it creates intense and persistent
burns.
When used properly in open areas,
white phosphorus munitions are not
illegal, but the Human Rights Watch
report concludes that the IDF
repeatedly exploded it unlawfully
over populated neighborhoods,
killing and wounding civilians and
damaging civilian structures,
including a school, a market, a
humanitarian aid warehouse, and a
hospital. Israel at first denied it was
using white phosphorus in Gaza but,
facing mounting evidence to the
contrary, said that it was using all
weapons in compliance with
international law. Later it announced
an internal investigation into
possible improper white phosphorus
use.
"Past IDF investigations into
allegations of wrongdoing suggest
that this inquiry will be neither
thorough nor impartial," Abrahams
said. "That's why an international
investigation is required into serious
laws of war violations by all parties."
The IDF knew that white phosphorus
poses life-threatening dangers to
civilians, Human Rights Watch said.
A medical report prepared during the
recent hostilities by the Israeli
ministry of health said that white