The Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused Israel of using white phosphorus in bombing densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip, while an Israeli official threatened to turn the territory into “hell”.
The ministry said in a tweet accompanied by a video clip that “the Israeli occupation uses internationally banned white phosphorus against Palestinians, in the al-Karamah area north of Gaza.”
The same video was also posted by the founder and president of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor Rami Abdo, via Twitter, who said it shows the use by the Israeli Northwest of Gaza City, armed troops used “toxic white phosphorus weapons” on residential areas.”. Rights Watch had mentioned in previous reports that Israel used white phosphorus in several wars, especially in the Gaza Strip.
The #Israeli occupation uses the internationally prohibited white phosphorus against Palestinians in Al Karama area, north of #Gaza.
#الاحتلال يقصف منطقة الكرامة بالفسفور المحرم دوليا شمال مدينة #غزة.#Gaza_Under_Attack #Palestine pic.twitter.com/hk7AFt43oU
— State of Palestine – MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) October 10, 2023
According to the organization, “White phosphorus is a chemical substance spread by artillery shells, bombs, rockets and mortar shells, used primarily to conceal military ground operations.”
It explained that “its use in open areas is permitted under international law, but air-burst white phosphorus over populated areas is unlawful because it poses unacceptable risks to civilians.”
BREAKING| Israeli military forces use poisonous white phosphorus weaponry on heavily populated districts in the northwest of Gaza City.
The footage was taken today at approximately 13:00. pic.twitter.com/x7Mlca0qks
— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) October 10, 2023
Amid Israel’s ongoing threats to the Gaza Strip following the Palestinian resistance’s launch of the Sword of Jerusalem battle, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Ghassan Alian, said the territory would face “hell”.
Alian criticized the attacks of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Israel, and said – in a video published by the Israeli newspaper in Arabic on Twitter – that the The organization “has transformed into ISIS (Islamic State), and instead of being shocked by this, the people of Gaza are celebrating”
"بدكم جهنم رح تحصلوا على جهنم"
رسالة منسق أعمال الحكومة في المناطق الى دواعش حماس ومعاونيهم في قطاع غزة pic.twitter.com/T6hERu75je
— إسرائيل بالعربية (@IsraelArabic) October 10, 2023
“With such inhuman beasts, we will handle them as we should,” he went on. Israel imposed a complete closure on Gaza, and you will have no electricity, no water, only destruction.”
The Israeli official concluded by saying, “You want hell? You’re going to get hell.”
On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel’s decision to impose a complete blockade on Gaza, cutting off water, food, electricity and fuel from the territory.
