this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2023

201 points (95.1% liked)

World News

32287 readers

765 users here now

News from around the world!

Rules:

Please only post links to actual news sources, no tabloid sites, etc
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, propaganda, etc

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

201

Human Rights Watch says Israel used white phosphorus in Gaza, Lebanon (www.reuters.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

17 comments fedilink hide all child comments

top 17 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Of course they did. The entire world all said through their actions that they have carte blache to do all the war crimes they want in service of their ethnic cleansing operation.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What? The EU condemned them. The UN too. Who is supporting them other than the US?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Talk is cheap, tell me when they start actually taking action.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Like how Germany and France condemned them? That kind of condemnation is like a backrub.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

JERUSALEM, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the use of such weapons puts civilians at risk of serious and long-term injury.

Israel has been bombarding Gaza in retaliation for a Hamas rampage in southern Israeli towns that killed at least 1,300 people this week.

It provided links to two videos posted on social media that it said show "155mm white phosphorus artillery projectiles being used, apparently as smokescreens, marking, or signaling".

Palestinian TV channels have broadcast video in recent days showing thin plumes of white smoke lining the sky over Gaza that they say was caused by such munitions.

Israel's military in 2013 said it was phasing out white phosphorus smokescreen munitions used during its 2008-2009 offensive in Gaza, which drew war crimes allegations from various rights groups.

White phosphorus munitions can legally be used on battlefields to make smoke screens, generate illumination, mark targets or burn bunkers and buildings.

The original article contains 404 words, the summary contains 169 words. Saved 58%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[+] [email protected] -52 points 1 year ago (7 children)

There is not one line in the article that indicates that Israel is using this as a weapon. White Phosphorus is used for smokescreens and markings areas.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Username checks out.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

There is multiple lines in the article stating exactly that. Where do get that from?!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It provided links to two videos posted on social media that it said show "155mm white phosphorus artillery projectiles being used, apparently as smokescreens, marking, or signaling". Both show scenes near the Israel-Lebanon border, it said.

HRW doesn't claim it was used directly as a weapon. IDF denies using it at all.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago

Maybe wait until the genocide is over before defending it? You’ll need the strength.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

It's a bombing campaign. They aren't using smokescreens.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

Maybe you should take a look at a map of Gaza. This isn't some field in Ukraine where you can just not be near the use of WP.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

A "smoke screen" that can kill people that are in contact..... sureeeeee

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Israel's military in 2013 said it was phasing out white phosphorus smokescreen munitions used during its 2008-2009 offensive in Gaza, which drew war crimes allegations from various rights groups.

The military at the time did not say whether it would also review use of weaponised white phosphorus, which is designed to incinerate enemy positions.

...

White phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon under Protocol III of the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons. The protocol prohibits using incendiary weapons against military targets located among civilians, although Israel has not signed it and is not bound by it.

It doesn't say they're using it as a weapon but it seems to imply they've stopped using it for at least one of the non-weapon purposes and make no assurance it won't be used as a weapon.