00:00 Israel issues denial after being accused of using white phosphorus when bombing Gaza.
00:05 Israel has denied knowledge of their weapons containing the lethal material.
00:10 Israel has been accused of using white phosphorus munitions in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the
00:15 use of such weapons is putting civilians at risk of long-term injuries.
00:20 Asked for comment on the accusations made by the Human Right Watch, Israel's military
00:24 said it was "currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus" in Gaza.
00:30 White phosphorus munitions can legally be used on battlefields to make smoke screens,
00:34 generate illumination, mark targets or burn bunkers in buildings.
00:39 Because of this, the material is not banned as a chemical weapon despite its ability to
00:43 cause serious burns and start fires.
00:47 Israel has been bombing Gaza in retaliation to the attacks carried out by Hamas, which
00:51 killed at least 1,200 people.
00:55 Human Rights Watch said it verified videos taken in Lebanon on October 10 and Gaza on
00:59 October 11 showing multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and
01:06 two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border.
01:10 White phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon under Protocol 3 of the Convention
01:14 on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons, which prohibits using incendiary
01:20 weapons against military targets located among civilians, although Israel has not signed
01:25 it and is not bound by it.
