March 9, 2026, 12:50 p.mMarch 9, 2026, 12:50 p.m
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of illegally using white phosphorus in an attack on a residential area in southern Lebanon last week.
The human rights organization was able to verify seven recordings and assign them geographically, it said in a report. An employee spoke of serious consequences for civilians. The incendiary properties of white phosphorus could cause death or serious injury, resulting in lifelong suffering.
The Israeli military did not initially comment on the allegation.
White phosphorus ignites upon contact with oxygen in the air and continues to burn until there is either nothing left or the oxygen supply is cut off. An additional protocol to the Geneva Conventions on the international law of war prohibits the use of phosphorus weapons if there is a risk that they will primarily affect civilians.
Before the March 3 attack, the Israeli military called on civilians to evacuate and stay at least a thousand meters away from the attack area, the HRW report said. It could not be verified whether people in the area had been harmed by white phosphorus. (sda/dpa)