Israel's Use of White Phosphorus: Smoke Screens vs. Incendiary Allegations

Israel states that it does not use white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon against civilians. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) employ white phosphorus munitions primarily for:

• Smoke screening to obscure troop movements.
• Illumination of battlefields at night.

However, international human rights organizations and UN bodies have investigated instances where white phosphorus was used in populated areas (e.g., Gaza 2008–09, 2014), raising concerns about its incidental incendiary effects on civilians and infrastructure. Israel maintains such use complies with international law, as white phosphorus is not banned as a smokescreen under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (Protocol III restricts only air-delivered incendiary weapons against civilians).