Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Revisiting Israel's Alleged Use of White Phosphorus Amid Renewed Conflict
By admin
Published 1 year ago on
October 10, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

As the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2023 escalates, concerns are being raised about military methods used in past conflicts in the region. One worry is over Israel’s alleged use of white phosphorus in the Gaza Strip.

The ICC Investigation and Israel’s Siege

In 2021, the International Criminal Court (ICC) initiated an investigation into claims of Israeli war crimes in the Palestinian territories under occupation. This probe included incidents from as far back as 2014, during Israel’s significant assault on Gaza. Despite peace agreements, Israel persisted with its sieges of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and a 14-year blockade of Gaza, actions that drew international condemnation.

In the aftermath of Israel’s 2008-2009 military operations in Gaza, both the United Nations and Human Rights Watch accused Israel of using artillery shells filled with white phosphorus in heavily populated civilian areas.

The Controversy Surrounding White Phosphorus

White phosphorus is a potent weapon with devastating effects on humans. It can melt through skin down to the bone within seconds upon contact. Injuries can be worsened by the release of toxic phosphoric acid into wounds. Consequently, international law, specifically a protocol of the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons, bans its use against civilians or in airstrikes on enemy forces in civilian areas.

Israel acknowledged the use of the gas, but claimed it was in “a small amount,” and pledged to remove it from active service.

The Historical Impact of White Phosphorus in Global Conflicts

White phosphorus has a long history in global conflicts, from World Wars I and II to its use by the U.S. in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq, and by Russia in Chechnya. Even the British Army reportedly used it in Argentina.

Watch the video by TRT World from 2021 below:

 

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

With Fresno Budget $20 Million in the Red, Belts Tighten at City Hall

DON'T MISS

Humpback Whale Briefly Swallows Kayaker — All Captured on Video

DON'T MISS

California Braces for Rain as Winter Storm Causes Massive Pileup

DON'T MISS

State Dept. Halts $400M Tesla Armored Vehicle Plan

DON'T MISS

Fresno Sub Teacher’s Immigration Queries of Students Spark Board Meeting Outrage

DON'T MISS

Southern California Braces for Storm Damage in Wildfire Areas

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Pick for Education Chief Outlines Plan to Dismantle Department

DON'T MISS

Trump Orders Mass Layoffs of Federal Probationary Workers, Warns More to Come

DON'T MISS

Two Students Injured in School Bus Crash Near Madera

DON'T MISS

Fresno Chain Sequoia Brewing Closing All Three Restaurants

UP NEXT

Trump Wants Denuclearization Talks With Russia and China, Hopes for Defense Spending Cuts

UP NEXT

Editorials of The Times: Now Is Not the Time to Tune Out

UP NEXT

Look Past Elon Musk’s Chaos. There’s Something More Sinister at Work.

UP NEXT

The Deadly Truth: Record Number of Journalists Killed in 2024

UP NEXT

Belarus Releases 3 People, Including an American and a Jailed Journalist

UP NEXT

President Trump and Putin Have Agreed to Start Negotiations to End the Ukraine War

UP NEXT

Too Few Tents Entering Gaza Threatens the Truce. Here’s What’s Happening

UP NEXT

US Defense Chief Hegseth Calls NATO Membership for Ukraine Unrealistic

UP NEXT

Will ‘Too Many Cooks’ Complicate LA’s Recovery From Deadly Fires?

UP NEXT

Israel Threatens to Restart War in Gaza if Hamas Doesn’t Release Hostages

State Dept. Halts $400M Tesla Armored Vehicle Plan

8 hours ago

Fresno Sub Teacher’s Immigration Queries of Students Spark Board Meeting Outrage

8 hours ago

Southern California Braces for Storm Damage in Wildfire Areas

8 hours ago

Trump’s Pick for Education Chief Outlines Plan to Dismantle Department

8 hours ago

Trump Orders Mass Layoffs of Federal Probationary Workers, Warns More to Come

8 hours ago

Two Students Injured in School Bus Crash Near Madera

10 hours ago

Fresno Chain Sequoia Brewing Closing All Three Restaurants

10 hours ago

250 Fresno Unified Bus Driver Jobs at Risk, Teachers Fear 12% Pay Cuts

10 hours ago

CA Schools Still Fall Behind Despite Big Increases in Spending

11 hours ago

Trump Wants Denuclearization Talks With Russia and China, Hopes for Defense Spending Cuts

11 hours ago

With Fresno Budget $20 Million in the Red, Belts Tighten at City Hall

Fresno is facing a $20 million budget shortfall, city officials said in a mid-year budget report to the city council on Thursday. And, it co...

7 hours ago

7 hours ago

With Fresno Budget $20 Million in the Red, Belts Tighten at City Hall

7 hours ago

Humpback Whale Briefly Swallows Kayaker — All Captured on Video

8 hours ago

California Braces for Rain as Winter Storm Causes Massive Pileup

8 hours ago

State Dept. Halts $400M Tesla Armored Vehicle Plan

8 hours ago

Fresno Sub Teacher’s Immigration Queries of Students Spark Board Meeting Outrage

A public works employee builds sand berms to protect homes along the beach from expected storm surge in Capitola, Calif., Feb. 13, 2025. A large swath of California was bracing on Thursday for an intense bout of rain that could lead to flooding and cause debris flows in areas recently burned by wildfires. (Nic Coury/The New York Times)
8 hours ago

Southern California Braces for Storm Damage in Wildfire Areas

8 hours ago

Trump’s Pick for Education Chief Outlines Plan to Dismantle Department

Protesters hold banners during a rally in front of the Office of Personnel Management, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington. President Donald Trump is relying on a relatively obscure federal agency to reshape government. The Office of Personnel Management was created in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter and is the equivalent of the government's human resources department. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
8 hours ago

Trump Orders Mass Layoffs of Federal Probationary Workers, Warns More to Come

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend