Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of unlawfully using white phosphorus in Lebanon attack
Rights group says US-supplied munitions fired over residential area in Yohmor on March 3, causing fires near homes and calling for suspension of military aid
BEIRUT — March 9, 2026 — Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israel on Monday of unlawfully using white phosphorus munitions over a residential area in southern Lebanon last week, saying the attack endangered civilians and calling on countries supplying such weapons to suspend military assistance .
The New York-based rights group said in a report that the Israeli military “unlawfully used artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions over homes on March 3, 2026, in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor” . HRW stated it had “verified and geolocated seven images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions being deployed over a residential part of the town and civil defence workers responding to fires in at least two homes and one car in that area” .
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The attack occurred hours after the Israeli military warned residents of Yohmor and dozens of other villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate, though HRW said it could not independently determine whether any residents remained in the area at the time or if anyone was harmed .
Munitions identified as US-supplied
The smoke pattern visible in the images resembles the “knuckle” formation produced by M825-series 155mm artillery shells, which are known to contain white phosphorus, according to the rights group . The M825 is a US-supplied munition, and HRW has previously documented Israel’s use of such weapons in populated areas.
White phosphorus is a waxy, yellowish chemical substance that ignites spontaneously upon contact with oxygen, burning at temperatures exceeding 800 degrees Celsius . When an artillery shell containing the substance bursts in the air, it releases felt wedges soaked in the chemical that drift to the ground, continuing to burn as long as they have access to air.
Militaries primarily use white phosphorus to create thick smokescreens for troop movements or to mark targets for airstrikes . However, when used as a weapon, its effects are devastating. According to the World Health Organization, phosphorus burns are both thermal and chemical, and because the substance is fat-soluble, it can burn through skin and muscle down to the bone .
Inhalation of phosphorus smoke can cause severe respiratory damage, and if the chemical enters the bloodstream, it can lead to multi-organ failure affecting the liver and kidneys . Survivors may face lifelong suffering from their injuries, HRW noted .
Legal and humanitarian concerns
“The Israeli military’s unlawful use of white phosphorus over residential areas is extremely alarming and will have dire consequences for civilians,” said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, as quoted in the report .
“Israel should immediately halt this practice and states providing Israel with weapons, including white phosphorus munitions, should immediately suspend military assistance and arms sales and push Israel to stop firing such munitions in residential areas,” Kaiss added .
The use of white phosphorus is governed by the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), an international treaty that prohibits the use of air-delivered incendiary weapons against concentrations of civilians . However, rights groups cite a significant loophole: because white phosphorus is primarily designed for smoke-screening rather than as an incendiary weapon, some militaries argue it falls outside the definition .
United Nations experts have asserted that the use of airburst white phosphorus in populated areas violates a fundamental principle of war requiring armies to distinguish between military targets and civilians .
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the past, it has maintained that it uses white phosphorus strictly for creating smokescreens and that its use is “consistent with international law” .
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Broader conflict and civilian toll
The attack on Yohmor came amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israel launching multiple waves of strikes across Lebanon since last week and sending ground troops into border areas after the Iran-backed group attacked it . Hezbollah said Monday it was fighting Israeli forces who landed in eastern Lebanon by helicopter across the Syrian border, the second such operation since the conflict began .
At least 394 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, Lebanese authorities said, with more than half a million people registered as displaced . UNICEF reported Monday that at least 83 children have been killed and 254 wounded in Lebanon since March 2, calling the figures “staggering” .
Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement that military strikes continue to kill and injure children while families flee their homes, with thousands of children sleeping in cold and overcrowded shelters .
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency on Sunday said Israeli forces targeted the towns of Khiam and Tal Nahas, near the border with Israel, “with artillery and phosphorus shelling” .
The conflict was sparked last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes . Despite a 2024 ceasefire agreement, Israel had continued strikes targeting Hezbollah, saying the group was trying to rebuild its forces near the border.
Previous accusations and environmental impact
Lebanese authorities and Human Rights Watch have over the past years repeatedly accused Israel of using white phosphorus rounds in attacks authorities say have harmed civilians and the environment . During Israel’s military campaign between October 2023 and May 2024, the IDF was accused of widespread use of white phosphorus across border villages in southern Lebanon .
Research has shown phosphorus residues can contaminate soil for years. In southern Lebanon, previous attacks have destroyed olive groves and citrus orchards that form the backbone of the local economy . Residents have described a “toxic legacy” left on their lands since at least 2023 .
Last month, Lebanon accused Israel of spraying the herbicide glyphosate on the Lebanese side of their shared border, with President Joseph Aoun decrying it as a “crime against the environment” .
Human Rights Watch also verified videos showing Israel firing white phosphorus over Gaza City port in October 2023, noting that its use in one of the world’s most densely populated areas violated international humanitarian law .
Human Rights Watch’s accusation that Israel unlawfully used white phosphorus over residential areas in southern Lebanon adds another grave dimension to the expanding Middle East conflict. With verified evidence of airburst munitions fired near homes, the rights group has called for an immediate halt to the practice and for countries supplying such weapons to suspend military aid.
As the conflict enters its second week with no end in sight, civilians continue to bear the heaviest burden. More than 390 Lebanese have been killed, over 500,000 displaced, and children account for a growing share of casualties. The use of controversial munitions in populated areas, if confirmed, would represent a further erosion of the protections civilians are meant to enjoy under international law.
For the residents of Yohmor and countless other border villages, the phosphorous attack is the latest chapter in a cycle of violence that has brought destruction, displacement, and now allegations of unlawful warfare to their doorsteps.
Sources / Inputs
AFP via Express Tribune: HRW accuses Israel of ‘unlawfully’ using white phosphorus in new Lebanon attacks
AFP via Al Arabiya: HRW accuses Israel of ‘unlawfully’ using white phosphorus in new Lebanon attacks
The News Minute: Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of using white phosphorus in southern Lebanese town
ARY News: Israel unlawfully using white phosphorus in Lebanon attacks: HRW
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