The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded on Thursday to accusations about Israel’s use of white phosphorus in Lebanon with a carefully crafted statement denying reports that the explosive substance was used to cause fires. , but admitting that they use it in some circumstances.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International accused the Israeli army of firing white phosphorus in the southern Lebanese city of Dhayra, injuring civilians.
On the same day, Lebanon’s Acting Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Al-Hajj Hassan, accused Israel of burning more than 40,000 olive trees in the south of the country using “white phosphorus bombs”.
The IDF denied the accusation.
The Israel Defense Forces’ “smoke capsules containing white phosphorus are not intended or used to cause fires, and any claim that these capsules are used for this purpose is unfounded,” the IDF said in a statement to CNN .
The IDF also stated that it does not use the weapon in densely populated areas, but added that there are “some exceptions.”
“This is in accordance with and goes beyond the requirements of international law,” the entity stated.
What is white phosphorus?
White phosphorus is an incendiary weapon used to cause fires on military targets, but its use is restricted by international humanitarian law.
It is considered legal in some cases, but cannot be fired in civilian areas or near civilian infrastructure.
White phosphorus can be used for lighting or to create a smokescreen in combat, but it has been known to burn flesh to the bone.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, “the use of white phosphorus weapons against any military target within areas with concentrations of civilians is prohibited unless the military target is clearly separated from civilians.”
Human Rights Watch also accused Israel of repeatedly firing white phosphorus in Lebanon since the escalation of the conflict between the two countries began on October 8, triggered by the war between Hamas and Israel.
Last month, the IDF strongly denied the allegations.
In an interview, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told CNN that “categorically, no,” he had not used white phosphorus.
Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented Israel’s use of white phosphorus in civilian areas in Gaza during previous rounds of the conflict in the region.
A CNN also documented its use.
A team from CNN in southern Lebanon has witnessed fires, burning trees and smoke amid Israeli attacks over the past two weeks, and filmed abandoned olive fields during the current harvest season.
Source: CNN Brasil
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