After a Hamas strike, did Israel unleash white phosphorus bombs on Gaza? video appears

 After a Hamas strike, did Israel unleash white phosphorus bombs on Gaza? video appears

A video purporting to show the deployment of white phosphorus bombs on densely populated areas in Gaza has surfaced as the Israeli raid on Hamas targets in Gaza has continued in reprisal to Hamas' surprise onslaught. White phosphorous bombs were last used by Russia at Bakhmut, Ukraine, and are thought to be a war crime when used against civilians.

Multiple fires are seen showering down in the social media video that has gone viral. The video's recentness and whether it was indeed shot in Gaza are unknown. However, it has been asserted that Israel deployed white phosphorus bombs on Gaza in order to cause the greatest number of casualties and destruction.

WHY DO PHOSPHORUS BOMBS EXIST?

White phosphorus, a compound of rubber and white phosphorus, resembles wax. When exposed to oxygen, it burns at a temperature of 800 °C and can spontaneously ignite at up to 1,300 °C, igniting white, dense smoke as seen in the video. It is quite difficult to remove since it resembles wax, and when the bandages are taken off, it frequently lights up once more.

Human Rights Watch cited a medical article as saying that "white phosphorus can cause serious injury and death when it comes into contact with the skin, is inhaled, or is swallowed."

"White phosphorus causes severe and long-lasting burns, sometimes even to the bone, when it comes into contact with skin. Infection is frequent, and the chemical's absorption by the body can result in severe organ damage and even death," it stated.

WHY IS THE ISRAEL-GAZA WAR HAPPENING?

On October 7, Hamas launched a "surprise attack" on Israel, killing hundreds of civilians by launching a barrage of rockets into the southern and central regions of the country and sending terrorists into Israeli territory. There are videos showing Hamas fighters firing indiscriminately at people. A music festival was taking place in Israel when some Hamas fighters parachuted in. The unexpected attack also claimed the lives of other foreigners.

Israel has proclaimed war and launched missile attacks against Gaza in reprisal. The Times of Israel reported that 800 Israelis have died since the attack on Saturday, citing Israeli local media. The Israeli government reports that over 2400 persons have also sustained injuries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the Israeli response has only just begun and that Hamas will experience many "tough and terrible" things in a harshly worded statement.