The Zionist army announced on Friday that it was working on a replacement for white phosphorus shells which is going to be ready in around a year.

Israel regime came under heavy criticism after its 22-day offensive on Gaza on December 27, 2008 for using white phosphorus shells.

At least 1,400 Palestinians including women and children were killed, many of them sustaining bad burns as a result of white phosphorous shells, which sparked widespread international criticism of the regime for using disproportionate force.

During the conflict, white phosphorous shells were used against a UN warehouse where more than 700 Palestinians were sheltering.

White phosphorus is an incendiary weapon, which burns fiercely and can set cloth, fuel, ammunition and other combustibles on fire, and cause serious burns or death.

In addition to its offensive capabilities, white phosphorus is also a highly efficient smoke-producing agent, burning quickly and causing an instant bank of smoke.

International law prohibits the use of white phosphorous shells in populated civilian areas.