Key facts
- Human Rights Watch verified images of Israeli forces using white phosphorus munitions over southern Lebanon.
- The munitions were observed exploding over residential areas in Yohmor.
- White phosphorus ignites upon exposure to oxygen, burning up to 800C and emitting toxic fumes.
- Military forces use white phosphorus for smokescreens, target marking, and illumination.
- Use over civilian areas is controversial and some claim illegal due to fires, severe burns, and toxic fumes.
- A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces could not comment on the HRW claim.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) researchers have verified and geolocated images showing Israeli forces using white phosphorus munitions over southern Lebanon, reigniting accusations that the country is breaking the laws of war. The incidents were observed in the opening days of Israel’s assault during the war on Gaza, with munitions exploding over residential areas in Yohmor.
White phosphorus is a chemical substance dispersed in artillery shells, bombs, and rockets that ignites when exposed to oxygen, burning at up to 800C and emitting large quantities of smoke. While military forces use it for legitimate purposes such as creating smokescreens or marking targets, its use over civilian areas is controversial and some claim illegal due to its potential to ignite fires, cause severe burns, and emit toxic fumes.
Ahmad Beydoun, an architect and PhD researcher at Delft University of Technology, documented and mapped nearly 250 uses of white phosphorus by Israeli forces between October 2023 and November 2024. His conservative estimate found that 39% of uses were in residential areas, 17% in agricultural lands, and 44% in forested or open terrain. Beydoun suggested the Israeli army might use it to burn fields for visibility, hindering hiding places for militants.
A report by the Lebanese non-profit Public Works Studio indicated that white phosphorus had been used to burn more than 2,000 hectares of southern Lebanese countryside, including significant areas of dense forest. The report also warned that white phosphorus can spontaneously combust when uncovered in soil, posing a continuing threat, and that repeated strikes can saturate the soil with phosphoric acid and toxic heavy metals, potentially reducing microbial diversity, depleting soil fertility, and decreasing agricultural productivity.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces stated they could not comment on HRW’s claim of illegal white phosphorus use. The spokesperson advised caution before making factual determinations based on visuals alone, noting visual similarities between different types of smoke shells. Last week, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, reportedly avoided directly responding to HRW’s allegations, stating only that Israel does "everything we can to minimise civilian casualties."