US 'concerned' over reports Israel used white phosphorus in Lebanon
YnetnewsDec 11, 2023
The US is "concerned" about reports that Israel may have used US-supplied white phosphorus munitions in violation of international law during an attack two months ago in southern Lebanon, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Monday.
Kirby's comments follow a Washington Post report on Monday that Israeli forces shelled the Lebanese town of Dheira near the Israeli border on Oct.16 with US-made artillery shells containing white phosphorus. The Human Rights Organization Amnesty International called for the attack, in which nine civilians were injured, to be investigated as a war crime.
These allegations falsely suggest that Israel committed a war crime by using white phosphorus and damaged the reputation of the Israeli military. The IDF's use of smoke grenades with white phosphorus complies with international law and serves to obscure the enemy, not to attack. There's no reason for Washington to be concerned, as the Israeli Supreme Court in 2013 imposed very strict conditions on the army's use of white phosphorus in populated areas. All Israel is doing is defending its population following the laws of war against Hezbollah and other terrorist groups in Lebanon.
The report confirms accusations made by human rights groups that Israel repeatedly committed war crimes against civilians by using white phosphorus in Lebanon, but also in Gaza. While the deployment of this toxic chemical may be legal under certain circumstances, it is obvious that its allegedly purely military use near populated areas also puts civilians at risk. That the US has supplied Israel with such munitions makes it complicit in Israel's war crimes. As usual, Washington is "concerned," but will probably not take any further action against its close ally as civilian horrors continue to mount in Gaza.
There is a 20% chance that there will be 400 or more deaths from armed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah by 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.