Human Rights Watch Says Israel Used White Phosphorus in Lebanon

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Israeli military used white phosphorus munitions over residential areas in southern Lebanon, raising legal and humanitarian concerns as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.

The rights organization said Israeli forces deployed white phosphorus shells over the town of Yohmor on March 3, with the munitions exploding above residential buildings and igniting fires across the area.

According to HRW, the organization verified eight images showing white phosphorus bursts over populated neighborhoods as well as civil defense teams responding to fires.

White phosphorus is a chemical substance that ignites upon contact with oxygen, producing intense heat and thick smoke. Human Rights Watch said the material’s effects can cause severe burns and long-term injuries when used near civilians.

“The incendiary effects of white phosphorus can cause death or cruel injuries that result in lifelong suffering,” said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at HRW.

Under international humanitarian law, HRW argues that airburst white phosphorus used over populated areas is unlawful because of the indiscriminate harm it can cause.

White phosphorus weapons are classified as incendiary weapons under Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). The protocol prohibits the use of incendiary weapons against military targets located among civilians. However, Israel has not signed Protocol III and is therefore not legally bound by it.

White phosphorus can legally be used on battlefields for purposes such as smoke screens, target marking, illumination, or burning fortifications, but not in ways that endanger civilian populations.

The Israeli military told Reuters it was not aware of any confirmed use of white phosphorus shells in Lebanon in the incident cited by HRW. It also said it had not reviewed the same videos referenced in the report and could not comment on the allegations. Lebanese authorities have not issued an official response to the HRW report.

Earlier on March 3, the Israeli military ordered residents of Yohmor and 50 surrounding villages and towns to evacuate as Israeli operations intensified along the southern Lebanese front. The escalation forms part of a broader confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah, which has expanded alongside the wider regional conflict. According to humanitarian agencies, Israeli strikes across Lebanon over the past week have killed nearly 400 people and forced hundreds of thousands of residents to flee their homes. Children have been heavily affected by the fighting.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that since March 2, at least 83 children have been killed and 254 injured in Lebanon during the escalating clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. That equates to more than 10 children killed and 36 injured each day, according to the agency.

The broader humanitarian situation has deteriorated rapidly as air strikes, artillery fire and cross-border rocket attacks intensify across southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research previously reported that Israeli forces carried out 175 attacks using white phosphorus in south Lebanon between October 2023 and July 2024, many of which triggered fires that burned over 600 hectares (about 1,480 acres) of farmland. Lebanese farmers have since been testing soil contamination to determine whether agricultural production can safely resume.

The new HRW report follows earlier allegations from Amnesty International regarding Israeli operations in Lebanon. In an investigation published in October 2023, Amnesty said Israeli forces indiscriminately used white phosphorus in an attack on the village of Dhayra on October 16. The organization stated that the incident “must be investigated as a war crime.”

As the conflict continues, officials say Israeli forces may be preparing for a prolonged military campaign against Hezbollah. According to the Financial Times, Israeli officials are planning a campaign that could last as long as or longer than the ongoing conflict with Iran, signaling a potentially extended phase of fighting along the Lebanon front.