Human Rights Watch has found evidence suggesting that Israel used white phosphorus munitions in residential areas of Lebanon earlier this month, according to a report cited by Al Jazeera.
In a report released on Monday, HRW said it had authenticated at least seven photographs indicating the use of white phosphorus over populated areas. The incidents were reported in Yohmor, a residential locality in southern Lebanon, where the organisation said the munitions sparked fires in at least two homes.
“The Israeli military's use of white phosphorus over residential areas is extremely alarming and will have dire consequences for civilians,” said Ramzi Kaiss, a Lebanon-based researcher with HRW. He noted that the incendiary effects of the substance can cause death or severe injuries that may lead to lifelong suffering.
White phosphorus ignites when exposed to oxygen and can set fire to anything it comes into contact with, including buildings, vegetation and human skin. HRW said the substance was reportedly deployed in areas where civilians were present, leading to fires in homes and other civilian property in Yohmor.
According to the organisation, one image posted online by Lebanese media on the morning of March 3 was verified and geolocated by its researchers. The image allegedly showed at least two artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions bursting in the air over a residential neighbourhood.
HRW said its analysis of the smoke patterns in the images was consistent with the distinctive “knuckle” cloud formed when artillery shells containing white phosphorus burst mid-air. Additional geolocated photographs showing workers attempting to extinguish fires on rooftops and inside a vehicle were also verified, the report added.
The group urged Israel to stop using white phosphorus in residential areas immediately. It also called on countries supplying weapons to Israel to suspend military assistance and arms sales involving such munitions.
ALSO READ: From Tihar to Darknet: How ‘Team Kalki’ Ran A Pan-India Drug Network Via Encrypted Apps
HRW further appealed to Israel’s key allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, to halt military sales and impose targeted sanctions on officials allegedly implicated in serious violations.
The organisation also stated that Israel had previously used white phosphorus between October 2023 and May 2024 in several border villages in southern Lebanon, placing civilians at significant risk.