Israel dismisses claim on use of white phosphorus in Gaza

The Israeli military has dismissed a claim on the use of white phosphorus in Gaza this week.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) said late on Thursday that it had verified Israel’s use of white phosphorus munitions through interviews and videos showing that the chemical substance was fired on two locations along the Israel-Lebanon border and over the Gaza City port.

White phosphorus is a wax-like, toxic substance that burns at more than 800 degrees Celsius (nearly 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit) – high enough to melt metal.

Its ability to ignite fast-spreading fires and create thick smoke over wide areas has made white phosphorus a substance of choice for militaries to create smokescreens. The smoke tends to last for seven minutes

White phosphorus munitions are difficult to extinguish and continue to flare until the phosphorous has been burned up or is no longer exposed to oxygen.

READ ALSO: 13 hostages killed by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza —Hamas

It can be deployed through artillery shells, bombs, rockets, or grenades.

However, in a statement issued on Friday, the Israeli military described the claim as an outright falsehood.

The Israel and Hamas conflict entered its sixth day on Friday with 1, 537 Palestinians – including 500 children and 276 women killed in airstrikes.

“The current accusation made against the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) regarding the use of white phosphorus in Gaza is unequivocally false,” it said in a statement.

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