Soldier with white phosphorus mortar round
Soldier with white phosphorus mortar roundWikimedia

A phosphorus mortar shell was among the 16 rockets and shells fired at Israel by early Wednesday afternoon. Gaza terrorists fired the shell at the Eshkol region. The shell hit an open area and did not cause injury.

Local officials expressed concern over the use of a new, more deadly weapon. “The potential danger is enormous,” one warned. The phosphorus shell is more dangerous than the usual rockets and mortar shells fired at the region, he explained.

Phosphorus bombs and shells scatter burning phosphorus on impact. A phosphorus head makes a rocket more likely to cause a serious fire or to burn anyone in proximity of a strike. Eshkol Council head Chaim Yelin said the attack showed that Hamas is using illegal weapons.

While expressing concern over the attack, Yelin said he was more concerned by the frequency of rocket attacks on the region. While the frequency of attacks on large cities has dropped, the Eshkol region adjacent to Gaza is still hit by several rockets each day, he said. Israel must continue to fight until the region is quiet, he said, adding, “We must not forget that we went to war in order to bring quiet to communities on the front line.”

Earlier this week Hamas accused Israel of using phosphorus in Gaza. Several foreign officials working with Gaza humanitarian groups have echoed the claim while taking care to state that the allegations have not been proven. IDF officials have rejected the allegations.