NABATIEH — Israel deployed white phosphorus in Nabatieh on May 30. Nabatieh has approximately 40,000 residents. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) states it uses white phosphorus in artillery shells to generate smoke screens.
International law prohibits the use of incendiary agents in and near populated areas. Although white phosphorus is not prohibited under international law, the Chemical Weapons Convention classifies it as an incendiary agent. Over 190 states have ratified the convention.
Israel denies employing white phosphorus in violation of international law. An investigation documented Israeli use of white phosphorus in Gaza in 2009. In 2013, the country committed to reducing its use of white phosphorus. The IDF utilized white phosphorus in Lebanese civilian areas during a 2023 conflict with Hezbollah.
White phosphorus is a solid chemical that ignites immediately upon exposure to oxygen. It can be deployed to mark military targets for subsequent strikes. A single white phosphorus artillery projectile can cover a diameter of 125 to 250 meters if it detonates in the air. The substance adheres to skin and fabric, causing burns that can penetrate bone tissue, and it can also damage the eyes and upper respiratory system. It is difficult to extinguish and may reignite upon contact with air.
Visual evidence confirmed white phosphorus use near Tyre and three other Lebanese towns following early March. Incendiary weapons struck residential homes in southern Lebanon on March 3. The United States supplied white phosphorus to the IDF for operations in Lebanon.
The country recommenced military strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon after a coordinated U.S.-Israel operation targeting Iran in late February. Hezbollah directed projectiles at communities in northern communities during early March. Lebanon and the country formalized a ceasefire agreement on Wednesday, but Hezbollah declined to accept it. Following the ceasefire announcement, IDF airstrikes resulted in nine fatalities, including three members of the Lebanese military.
Ramzi Kaiss, a Lebanon researcher, said, "It can create cruel injuries—life long injuries." Budour Hassan, a researcher on Israel and Palestine, said, "It can still burn for several days or weeks later. Our investigators visited places in Gaza days after, where white phosphorus was air-dropped, and it was still there."