White phosphorus is a substance that reacts with oxygen to produce heat and flame. As it produces dense smoke, its temperature reaches above 800 degrees Celsius. Its use in war is categorised as incendiary weapons; including napalm, thermite, magnesium powder, and choline trifluoride. Thus, it starts fires and spreads quickly which can lead to big-scale damage. It can also be classified as munitions for camouflage and smokescreen purposes. In humans and other living creatures, it can cause severe burns down to the bone, respiratory damage, organ failure and other long-term injuries. Its exposure to 10% of the body is fatal (50-100 milligrams). It can spread quickly over the trees, and crops and damage the environment and agriculture.
The CCW (1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons) Protocol clearly states that incendiary weapons are prohibited for use against civilian populations, military objectives located in civilian concentrated areas, on plant covers/ forests and attack by air delivery.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch verified the use of white phosphorus in South Lebanon and Gaza since October 7th, including civilian-populated villages. In Lebanon, this caused 10 million square metres of land to be burned by white phosphorus. In the area; 91,000 people have been displaced. Serious injuries to civilians’ health in the long term, agriculture, the environment and the economy of the country are caused by Israel’s use of white phosphorus. Israel also used white phosphorus in 1982, 1993 and 2006 in Lebanon and 2009 in Gaza.
CCW and the use of white phosphorus?
However, CCW Protocol 3 does not include all incendiary weapons. As the ‘primary use’ of white phosphorus is classified as smoke screening, it may be exempt as it is also categorised as ‘primarily designed as munitions’. Also, the use of ground-launched incendiary weapons in CCW is not as clearly stated but is more focused on air strikes. This shows weaknesses of the CCW Protocol of international law that needs amendments. While its primary design (munitions) may not be prohibited in war law; its results that cause serious harm and its intentional use in many civilian-populated areas fully violates the rule of the use of incendiary weapons and is a war crime. Therefore, its function as an incendiary weapon a should be seriously considered in law-making and prevention of certain weapons in wars. It does not only spread fire but causes irreversible scale of damage.
The widespread damage caused by the use of white phosphorus by Israel is highly concerning due to the irreversible and long-term effects it causes. This needs immediate action by CCW for adequate international humanitarian law as Israel uses indiscriminate excessive force in Gaza and Lebanon.
Rights Defenders demand that the use of white phosphorus should be explicitly illegal to use, just like other incendiary weapons. In this case, CCW Protocol 3 needs to be reviewed to categorise incendiary weapons based on their implications rather than their primary use. The reality of the use of white phosphorus is beyond its primary use of smoke screening and costs civilians’ lives. This should not be ignored and requires urgent international attention.
In addition, arms trade companies that produce and sell white phosphorus to Israel, and the countries that ignore its implications should be held accountable for being complicit in war crimes.
We, the Rights Defenders, call for ending the production and selling of white phosphorus by Pine Bluff Arsenal, Albemarle, Monsanto and ICL. These companies should be boycotted, divested and sanctioned by the sponsored third parties and the governments they have close ties with. We condemn Israel’s genocide as it uses indiscriminate big-scale weapons to attack people in Palestine and South Lebanon. We call for an immediate ceasefire and international sanctions for the war crimes Israel is committing.
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