HRW accuses Israel of ‘unlawfully’ hitting southern Lebanon village with shells containing white phosphorus: What is it?

Israeli military “unlawfully” struck a village in southern Lebanon, using artillery shells loaded with white phosphorus, a widely debated incendiary weapon, on 3 March, according to a report released on Monday by Human Rights Watch.

The organisation said it examined and geolocated seven images that indicate white phosphorus artillery was used in residential parts of the village of Yohmor in southern Lebanon. The reported strike occurred several hours after the Israeli military had issued evacuation warnings to residents of Yohmor and many other nearby villages in the region.

Avichay Adraee, Israel’s Arabic military spokesperson, at 5:27 AM earlier that day, released a directive mentioning 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", the report noted.

Human Rights Watch said it was unable to independently confirm whether any civilians remained in the area at the time of the strike or if anyone was injured. The Israeli military did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment. Previously, it has been stated that white phosphorus is used to create smoke screens rather than to deliberately target civilians.

What is white phosphorus?

White phosphorus is a chemical substance used in artillery shells, bombs, and rockets that ignites when it comes into contact with oxygen. However, human rights advocates state that deploying white phosphorus in populated areas violates international law. The substance burns at extremely high temperatures, which can ignite buildings and cause severe injuries by burning through human tissue down to the bone. Even people who survive with relatively minor burns may later face serious complications such as infections, organ damage, or respiratory failure.

“The Israeli military’s unlawful use of white phosphorus over residential areas is extremely alarming and will have dire consequences for civilians. The incendiary effects of white phosphorus can cause death or cruel injuries that result in lifelong suffering,” Ramzi Kaiss, a Lebanese researcher with HRW, said.

Kaiss said that Israel should immediately stop this practice. He also urged countries that supply weapons to Israel, including white phosphorus munitions, to suspend military aid and arms sales and pressure Israel to stop using such weapons in residential areas.

Hezbollah's involvement in the Middle East conflict

Hezbollah said on Monday that it had engaged Israeli troops who arrived in eastern Lebanon by helicopter from across the Syrian border, marking the second such operation since the start of the latest conflict with Israel.

Lebanon became involved in the broader Middle East conflict last week after the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during US-Israeli strikes.

Lebanon’s health minister, Rakan Nassereddine, said on Sunday that Israeli strikes over the past week had killed 394 people in Lebanon, including 83 children and 42 women.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military also said that two of its soldiers were killed during fighting in southern Lebanon, marking the first fatalities among its forces since the current offensive began on 2 March.