Israel: White Phosphorus Used in Gaza, Lebanon

المنطقة عكف عفريت@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 276 points –
Human Rights Watch says Israel used white phosphorus in Gaza, Lebanon
reuters.com
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I have no idea if they did or not, but Russia was also accused of using it and most of the videos purporting its use turned out to be magnesium, which also burns white, produces white smoke, and sets pretty much everything it touches on fire.

So far the 40 beheaded babies turned out not to exist. I trust very few non-expert reports of things happening.

WaPo confirmed it. And an air bursting Magnesium round is also a war crime.

WP burns yellower, and magnesium is very rare because it's expensive and complicated. WP auto-ignites in air, magnesium has to be separately lit by the delivery system. You can't practically put a magnesium incendiary in an artillery shell, what you see in Gaza is mostly artillery.

And suddenly switching to magnesium would be an absolute psycho move. The way you treat a WP burn is pouring tons of water on it, magnesium explodes on contact with water.