Amid the recent renewed conflict between Israel and Hamas, Human Rights Watch (HRC) Thursday claimed that the Israeli armed forces had used a substance known as white phosphorous in munitions fired at populated urban locations. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) appeared to rebut this allegation in subsequent statements.

White phosphorus is a toxic material that burns at over 800 degrees Celsius. Typically, it is used as a non-violent military weapon, often utilised to create smokescreens or ignite unoccupied buildings, and for this reason, it is classified as a multipurpose munition rather than an incendiary weapon.

@IDF statement: The current accusation made against the IDF regarding the use of white phosphorus in Gaza is unequivocally false. The IDF has not deployed the use of such munitions.
Stop spreading lies.

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) October 13, 2023

In response to the allegations, IDF reportedly issued statements denying the use of white phosphorous. Reuters reported that the Israeli military stated, “The current accusation made against the IDF (Israel Defence Force) regarding the use of white phosphorus in Gaza is unequivocally false. […] The IDF has not deployed the use of the such munitions.”

The use of white phosphorous is legal. However, Protocol III of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons prohibits the use of incendiary weapons to attack civilians, although Israel is not a party to the protocol. The IDF referenced this chemical in a tweet from 2012:

@omar__othman Learn more about the correct use of white phosphorus & why it's legal: http://t.co/C5BPaLuO #Israel #Gaza

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 13, 2012

Speaking on the use of white phosphorous, Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, noted:

Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering […] White phosphorous is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians.

This is not the first such allegation of white phosphorous being used against civilians by the Israeli military. Amnesty International found “indisputable evidence” of this practice in 2009, which led to rights groups condemning Israel for white phosphorous use in Gaza.