Israeli War Crimes Confirmed in Gaza

Wide confirmation (see e.g. here) is beginning to come in that Israel has used, and is continuing to use white phosphorous (WP) against the civilian population of Gaza. Human Rights Watch observers in southern Israel (they are barred by Israeli forces from entering Gaza), saw shells fired over a Gazan refugee camp that left trails characteristic of WP shells, and exploded in a manner consistent with WP, which produces unique looking explosions.

WP is a weapon banned from use in civilian areas by the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Protocol III. Wikipedia lists the following as effects on humans of exposure to WP:

Effects of Exposure to WP Weapons

Incandescent particles of WP cast off by a WP weapon's initial explosion can produce extensive, deep (second and third degree) burns. Phosphorus burns carry a greater risk of mortality than other forms of burns due to the absorption of phosphorus into the body through the burned area, resulting in liver, heart and kidney damage, and in some cases multi-organ failure. These weapons are particularly dangerous to exposed people because white phosphorus continues to burn unless deprived of oxygen or until completely consumed. In some cases burns are limited to exposed areas of skin because the smaller WP particles do not burn completely through personal clothing before being consumed...

Exposure and Inhalation of Smoke

Burning WP produces a hot, dense white smoke. Most forms of smoke are not hazardous in the kinds of concentrations produced by a battlefield smoke shell. Exposure to heavy smoke concentrations of any kind for an extended period (particularly if near the source of emission) does have the potential to cause illness and even death.

WP smoke irritates the eyes and nose in moderate concentrations. With intense exposures, a very explosive cough may occur. However, no recorded casualties from the effects of WP smoke alone have occurred in combat operations, and to date there are no confirmed deaths resulting from exposure to phosphorus smoke...

As you can see, this is a worse weapon than napalm in terms of damage to the human body. Once you are hit with it, you can't get it off. It literally burns its way into the skin. The fact that it reacts with oxygen means that it cannot be put out with water, and trying to do so only makes the problem worse.

WP was used against the people of Fallujah by American occupation forces in Iraq during the 2004 massacre. That is one of the best documented uses of WP against a densely concentrated area of civilians. The USA violated the laws of war in Fallujah, and Israel is doing so now, using WP in a banned capacity. This is at least as terrorist as anything Hamas has done, including suicide bombings. This is a weapon used without fear of consequences designed to kill civilians and terrorize them into behaving in the desired manner. This is terrorism.

Israel claims to want peace, but with every action it takes, it undermines the chance for that peace, driving home the message to the Palestinians that they are not to be allowed to live in peace themselves. Israel's version of peace requires that the Palestinians be subjucated, racialized and imprisoned in an enormous open-air concentration camp called Gaza, in which they will be left to starve in the dark. If Israel is unwilling to live in true peace, how can it expects the colonized and brutalized people of the occupied territories to be willing to do the same?

There can be no peace without justice. Justice for Palestine!

Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 8

[Update] White phosphorus shelling has been confirmed in the Israeli destruction of a United Nations compound in Gaza.