Vrai

TRUE-Did the Zionist entity use "white phosphorus" against Palestinians?

Vrai

TRUE-Did the Zionist entity use "white phosphorus" against Palestinians?

In response to the wishes expressed by our readers and their requests, we have carried out this special translation of articles from the Arabic language into English.We’ve also provided all the necessary updates.

(This text is a translation of the article published on October 18th, titled’’هل استعمل الكيان الصهيوني
On October 13, 2023, Israel issued a statement on its official embassy page in France, Ambassade d'Israël en France, on the x (formerly known as Twitter) platform, denying the use of internationally prohibited weapons.


Israel, in an official statement, has denied the use of internationally prohibited weapons in the ongoing conflict and refuted all the news articles, images, and videos circulating on social media platforms that claim the use of "white phosphorus" in the war against Gaza.

The statement issued by the occupying entity specifically mentioned that the videos and images of airstrikes being shared on social networks pertain to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

However, an fact check conducted by ''TuniFact'' team revealed that the Zionist claim and the news of "Israel not using internationally prohibited white phosphorus" are false.

In the initial phase, we conducted a search using the Google search engine, inputting keywords such as "Israel using white phosphorus against Palestinians - Israel using internationally banned weapon against Palestinians." The search yielded an article published on Al-Jazeera's website titled "Human Rights Watch: Israel Used Phosphorus Bombs in Gaza and South Lebanon."

The article reported that "Human Rights Watch stated it had confirmed that the Israeli occupation army used phosphorus bombs during its airstrikes on Gaza and along the Lebanese borders."

Furthermore, the article mentioned that the organization, relying on verified images, declared that the Israeli army had employed phosphorus bombs in attacks on Gaza and the Lebanese borders on October 10th and 11th.

Another article was found on the Anadolu Agency's website, published on October 15, 2023, titled "Amnesty International Confirms Israel's Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza Based on Evidence Collected by Its Crisis Evidence Lab."

The article stated that Amnesty International confirmed Israel's use of white phosphorus munitions in the densely populated Gaza Strip. The video clips and images that were verified showed artillery shells M825 and M825A1, bearing the designation D528, which is the U.S. Department of Defense's code for white phosphorus-based munitions.

Additionally, a video shared by "Red media," a platform specializing in media and documentation, on Twitter provided visual evidence of Israeli airstrikes using phosphorus bombs in the Gaza port.

In a post accompanying the video, it was emphasized that this matter should be of great concern due to the high population density in the port area and the severe consequences that can result from using such weapons in civilian areas.

In a subsequent phase, we examined the official website of Human Rights Watch and discovered a report published on October 12, 2023, bearing the title "Israel Used White Phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon."

The article stated, "Human Rights Watch affirmed today that Israel's use of white phosphorus in military operations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon poses a severe risk to civilians."

After verifying video footage captured in Lebanon and Gaza on October 10th and 11th, the report provided compelling evidence supporting these claims.

In a third phase of our investigation, we explored the official website of Amnesty International and found the article confirming Israel's use of white phosphorus in Gaza.

The article stated that Amnesty International had gathered compelling evidence documenting the Israeli military's use of white phosphorus shells in densely populated civilian areas in the Gaza Strip, with many of these attacks potentially constituting unlawful indiscriminate attacks.

Video footage and images verified by the Evidence Lab of Amnesty International pointed to Israel's use of "white phosphorus" ordnance with an increasing frequency of strikes on October 7th.

The article included images of munitions bearing symbols indicative of white phosphorus.

In a fourth phase, we consulted with retired military expert Mukhtar Ben Nassr, who affirmed that white phosphorus is a chemical substance present in artillery shells, bombs, and rockets or mortar rounds, which ignites upon exposure to oxygen. It is an internationally banned weapon according to the Geneva Convention because it is a lethal weapon that targets civilians, as well as animals, water, and air, with the goal of igniting intense fires and generating dense smoke, which can cause fatal burns.

The military expert further highlighted that there are international agreements that prohibit the use of certain types of weapons, including the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons of 1982, the Ottawa Treaty of 1997, the Geneva Conventions of 1979 and 1993, and the Cluster Munitions Convention of 2008. He pointed out that Israel has refrained from joining some of these agreements to avoid potential prosecution by the International Criminal Court.

What is the danger of white phosphorus?

White phosphorus munitions, when detonated, produce intense light and dense smoke, causing severe burns and gruesome injuries when they come into contact with human flesh.

Burns caused by white phosphorus bombs often reach the bone and are slow to heal, potentially developing into infections if all phosphorus fragments are not removed. Burns covering less than 10% of a person's body from white phosphorus are often fatal and can also cause damage to the respiratory system and organ failure.

After thorough investigation and scrutiny of the Israeli side's denial of using white phosphorus against Palestinians in Gaza, Tunisia Tatharrai platform confirms that this claim is false and classifies the news of Israel using "white phosphorus" against Palestinians as accurate.

(Translated by Bchainia Wided)