Israel has unlawfully released white phosphorous on homes in Lebanon, according to evidence found by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The organisation said it had verified and geolocated seven images showing an airburst of white phosphorous munitions deployed over a residential area in the southern Lebanon town of Yohmor.
Civil defence workers were also pictured responding to fires in at least two homes and one car in that area on March 3.
The global human rights group found the shape of the smoke cloud caused by the airbursts in the picture to be consistent with the “knuckle” made by the expelling and bursting charges of an artillery projectile that contains white phosphorous.
“The Israeli military’s unlawful use of white phosphorous over residential areas is extremely alarming and will have dire consequences for civilians,” said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at HRW. “The incendiary effects of white phosphorous can cause death or cruel injuries that result in lifelong suffering.”
Chemical warfare is in direct violation of international humanitarian law, according to the HRW who said “the use of airburst white phosphorous is unlawfully indiscriminate in populated areas” and it “does not meet the legal requirement to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm.”
The organisation has called on Israel to immediately halt the practice and has demanded allies - UK, US and Germany, to stop arming Israel with weapons and impose targeted sanctions on officials it says are “credibly implicated in grave crimes”.
What is white phosphorous?
White phosphorous is a chemical substance which is waxy and solid. It typically appears yellowish or colourless, and its odour has been described as resembling garlic.
Burning phosphorous creates a dense, white irritating smoke which ignites instantly upon contact with oxygen at temperatures above 30C. Once ignited, white phosphorous is very difficult to extinguish and it sticks to surfaces like skin and clothing.
It can be legally used by militaries to illuminate battlefields and to generate a smokescreen and as an incendiary.
How dangerous is it?
White phosphorous is dangerous to humans by all routes of exposure, and is especially harmful to the eyes and impacts breathing.
It can cause deep and severe burns, even penetrating through bone. It can also be absorbed in toxic amounts through the skin, mouth and nose.
The systemic effects of it may impact people 24 hours after exposure, causing cardiovascular collapse, as well as comas. It may even lead to death from significant shock or central nervous system damage.
When has Israel previously been accused of using it?
The HRW has previously documented the Israeli military’s widespread use of white phosphorous between October 2023 and May 2024 across border villages in South Lebanon.
The group found evidence of Israeli forces previously using white phosphorous in at least 17 municipalities across south Lebanon, including 5 municipalities where airburst munitions were unlawfully used over populated residential areas.
The organisation has collected verified video and witness accounts which show multiple airbursts of artillery-fire white phosphorous over the port area of Gaza city and two rural locations across the Israel-Lebanon border on October 10 and 11 in 2023.
Since the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2, at least 217 people have been killed in Lebanon as of March 6, according to the health ministry, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
How has Israel responded to the accusations?
An IDF spokesperson told The Independent that the Israeli military is “currently unaware and cannot confirm use of shells that contain white phosphorous in Lebanon as claimed. The IDF did not watch the visuals supposedly relied on by Human Rights Watch in making its claims, and therefore cannot currently comment on them.”
The military group claimed the primary smoke shells used by the IDF do not include white phosphorous but the army do “like many Western militaries” possess smoke shells which contain a certain amount of white phosphorous, which are lawful under international law.
They said these smoke shells “have visual similarities” to white phosphorous but are used to create smoke screens and “under IDF directives, such shells are not used for targeting or causing fire” and are “not used in densely populated areas, with certain exceptions”.
Israel has also previously rejected any allegations of the unlawful use of white phosphorous in Lebanon in 2023.
On March 3 of this year, Israel’s Arabic military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, issued an order at 5.27am stating that residents of Yohmor and 50 other villages and towns “should immediately evacuate [their homes] and move away from the villages to a distance of at least 1,000 meters outside the village to open land.”
Mr Adraee repeated the statement at 12.12pm that day. HRW has not verified whether people were in the area or injured as a result of white phosphorous use.
