By EFE
31 Oct 2023, 17:01 PM EDT
Amnesty International denounced that Israel used white phosphorus projectiles in its bombings in southern Lebanon in recent weeks, and said that one of these attacks, against the city of Dhayra, should be investigated as a “war crime” because it was a “ indiscriminate use” against civilian targets of a prohibited weapon.
This was indicated in a statement, which indicated that its analysts reviewed and analyzed videos and photographs of the attack, interviewed witnesses, health personnel and personnel who initially treated the wounded and confirmed the use of this type of ammunition in a bombing on October 16 against the Lebanese population.
“The Israeli Army fired artillery shells containing white phosphorus, an incendiary weapon, in operations on Lebanon’s southern border between October 10 and 16 (…) An attack on the city of Deraa on October 16 should be investigated as a war crime, as it was an indiscriminate attack that injured at least nine civilians and damaged civilian targets and, therefore, was illegal,” AI said.
In the note, AI’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Aya Majzoub, denounced as “beyond horror” this use of white phosphorus by Israel, which endangered “the lives of civilians.”
“With growing concerns about escalating hostilities in southern Lebanon, the Israeli Army must immediately stop the use of white phosphorus, especially in populated areas, in line with its forgotten 2013 commitment to stop using such weapons. He must fulfill that promise and avoid further endangering the lives of civilians in Lebanon,” Majzoub said.
In addition to this incident, AI also gathered evidence of the use of this type of ammunition in at least three other incidents in the area.
Under international humanitarian law, all parties to a conflict must at all times distinguish between civilians and military targets, and only the latter can be directly attacked.
Any attack that does not distinguish between them is illegal and constitutes a war crime.
White phosphorus is a chemical substance that is fired in artillery projectiles, bombs and rockets and ignites when exposed to oxygen, giving rise to a chemical reaction that generates an intense temperature of 815° C.
It produces light and dense, toxic smoke that are used for military purposes, but it also causes injuries in contact with people, causing severe burns that often reach the bone and are difficult to heal.
On October 12, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) also denounced that Israel used white phosphorus in military operations against Gaza and Lebanon.
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