The Israeli army has said it owns munitions with white phosphorus for other purposes rather than attacks, TRT World reports.

“We have smoke shells containing white phosphorus, intended for camouflage, and not for the purpose of attacking or starting fires,” the official Israeli Army Radio said.

The Israeli statement came after the White House expressed concern on Monday over a report suggesting that Israel used US-supplied white phosphorus in an attack in southern Lebanon.

“Like many Western armies, the Israeli army also possesses smoke shells containing white phosphorus, which is legal according to international law,” the Israeli Army Radio said, adding that the munitions “are not legally defined as incendiary weapons.”

The Washington Post reported on the Oct.16 Israeli attack in Dheira, a Lebanese town near the border with Israel, in which, as the report claimed, Israel used US-supplied white phosphorus munitions and at least nine civilians were wounded.

Read the full report here.