Smoke rises from explosions induced by the Israeli army in the southern border village of Khiam, southern Lebanon, March 9, 2025. RABIH DAHER / AFP
Human Rights Watch on Monday, March 9, accused Israel of "unlawfully" using white phosphorus over residential parts of a southern Lebanese town last week.
"The Israeli military unlawfully used artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions over homes on March 3, 2026, in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor," the New York-based rights group said in a report.
HRW added that it "verified and geolocated seven images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions being deployed over a residential part of the town and civil defense workers responding to fires in at least two homes and one car in that area."
In response, the Israeli military said it "is currently unaware and cannot confirm use of shells that contain white phosphorus in Lebanon as claimed." The army said its policy was not to use shells containing white phosphorus "in densely populated areas, with certain exceptions."
