Human Rights Watch says that Israel has been illegally using white phosphorus in Lebanon
(Corrected spelling of “phosphorus” in the title, added the missing word “of” in the 8th paragraph)
JERUSALEM, March 10 (Reuters) – The Israeli army illegally used white phosphorus ammunition at homes in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor on March 3, posing a threat to civilians, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Monday.
“The incendiary effects of white phosphorus can cause death or serious injury, causing lifelong suffering,” Human Rights Watch’s Lebanese researcher Ramzi Kaiss said in a statement.
The human rights group said Yohmor had verified eight images showing white phosphorus being used in a residential area and civil defense workers responding to fires in the area.
Reuters could not independently verify the group’s findings.
The Israeli military told Reuters it was unaware and could not confirm that bullets containing white phosphorus were used in Lebanon. He added that he had not reviewed the same videos as HRW and could not comment on the allegations.
Lebanese officials did not comment.
In a statement issued early on March 3, the Israeli army told Yohmor and residents of 50 other villages and towns to evacuate.
Reuters had previously reported that Lebanese farmers were testing their land to determine whether they could continue planting after Israel reported using white phosphorus in 2023.
Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research said that, as of July 2024, there had been 175 Israeli attacks using white phosphorus in southern Lebanon since October 2023, many of which caused fires affecting more than 600 hectares (1,480 acres) of agricultural land.
White phosphorus munitions can be legally used on battlefields to create smokescreens, create illumination, mark targets, or burn down shelters and buildings.
Under international humanitarian law, the use of air-sprayed white phosphorus in populated areas is illegal, HRW said.
White phosphorus is included in Article III of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons. It is considered an incendiary weapon under its protocol. The protocol prohibits the use of incendiary weapons against military targets located among civilians, although Israel has not signed it and is not bound by it.
Nearly 400 people have died and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes in Israeli attacks on Lebanon for more than a week.
HRW had previously accused Israel of using white phosphorus during Israeli operations against Lebanon in 2023; The Israeli army denied this accusation at the time.
(Reporting by Pesha Magid; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
