Gaza’s “Rain of Fire”: Understanding the Consequences of White Phosphorus Use on Civilians
Following Hamas’ October 7th attack, Israel has engaged in an aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip. As of February 25, 2024, at least 29,000 Palestinians have died according to the Gaza Health Ministry, with an estimated two-thirds of those deaths being women and children. Israel has bombed several refugee camps, such as the Jabalia and al-Maghazi camps, as well as hospitals, schools, and mosques. In response, organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Israeli human rights group B’Tselem have criticized the civilian toll of Israel’s bombardment. One component of this humanitarian calamity is the use of white phosphorus.
When fired, white phosphorus reacts with oxygen and generates smoke, leaving what Human Rights Watch calls a “rain of fire.” Upon contact, the substance sticks to the skin, producing “extremely painful” burns that can penetrate to the bone—similar to other incendiary weapons such as napalm. Scars from these burns can result in muscle contractures and permanent physical damage. As phosphorus burns through the skin, it enters the bloodstream, where it can poison the heart, liver, and kidneys. Burns typically cover a much greater proportion of a smaller person’s body, meaning children are more likely to die from white phosphorus exposure. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has estimated that 10,000 children have died from the war as of January 14, demonstrating that children may also be at risk of white phosphorus burns.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have verified Israel’s use of white phosphorus in attacks that have killed or injured civilians in 2023. Despite this evidence, Israel maintains that its use of white phosphorus does not contradict humanitarian law. Under Protocol III of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, incendiary substances used to ignite military targets are banned from use on civilian populations. However, white phosphorus is primarily used as a smokescreen, allowing Israel to bypass Protocol III, which Israel has not signed onto anyway. Regardless of the intended use, the ignition of this munition in densely populated areas risks civilian lives.
2023 is not the first time that Israel has been accused of using white phosphorus. In the 2009 Gaza War, the Israeli Defense Forces ignited the incendiary over multiple civilian areas. Despite the IDF having access to non-lethal smokescreen shells, white phosphorus was used instead. Following a petition by Israeli human rights organizations and other groups to the Israeli High Court of Justice, the IDF acknowledged its use of the substance in 2013. It agreed to cease releasing white phosphorus in populated areas, except in two extreme circumstances that were only disclosed to the judges. However, the tangible outcome of this ruling was an investigation of the use of white phosphorus instead of a formal change in policy—allowing the military to continue using the munition.
White phosphorus has also been deployed in several military operations in the broader Middle East, most notably in Iraq and Syria. For example, the U.S. military has utilized this weapon in the densely populated Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Mosul, as well as the city of al-Raqqa in Syria. According to the U.S. Army, white phosphorus was for screening, without any intention of targeting civilians. However, Amnesty International has verified videos of white phosphorus bursting over civilian neighborhoods, creating questions about the level of caution that was taken by U.S. forces. Human Rights Watch has also documented the use of white phosphorus in Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, but the extent to which these incidents have affected civilians remains unclear.
Beyond the direct health impacts, white phosphorus harms the natural and built environment in Gaza. Upon ignition, the aerosols found in the smoke absorb water and form droplets of phosphoric acid. According to Nada Majdalani, Palestine Director of EcoPeace Middle East, these droplets fall as acid rain during the rainy season, damaging vulnerable structures such as plastic rainwater harvesting systems. Gaza has already been facing an acute water shortage, with 70 percent of Gazans drinking salty or contaminated water. Additionally, the fires ignited by white phosphorus can burn property, livestock, and crops, exacerbating the “catastrophic” hunger crisis in Gaza. White phosphorus not only threatens the health of civilians but also their self-reliance.
Israel’s response to the October 7th attack has resulted in a large loss of life and a severe reduction in quality of life for those who survive. The deteriorating healthcare system of Gaza has been operating at capacity, restricting access to intensive care for physical disability and organ failure that white phosphorus victims face. Burn victims also have higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and negative body image, posing risks to the overall mental health of the Gazan population. White phosphorus is playing a particularly painful role in the bombardment of Gaza, and the torment caused by this munition will linger for many decades.
Photo Credit: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
