When I saw recent news videos of Israeli attacks on Gaza, it looked to me as if they were using aerial burst white phosphorus shells.
White phosphorus is a substance that spontaneously combusts in the presence of oxygen, and will even burn under water. When it contacts human skin, it causes horrific burns which cannot be extinguished.
Turns out I was right:
To screen its assault on the heavily populated Gaza strip, Israel is believed to be using controversial white phosphorus shells, whose use is banned under the Geneva conventions as an offensive weapon against civilians, but its use as a smokescreen is not prohibited by international law.
The weapon, used by British and US forces in Iraq, can cause horrific burns but is not illegal if used as a smokescreen, The Times reported. As the Israeli army stormed to the edges of Gaza City and the Palestinian death toll topped 500, the shells could be seen spreading tentacles of thick white smoke to cover the troops’ advance.
The U.S. also used WP (aka. White Phosphorus, aka. Willy Pete) during the Iraq war.
(Photo is of an Iraqi victim of a U.S. WP attack) |