When the M825-series 155mm artillery shell explodes in the air, releasing its felt wedges filled with white phosphorus, it creates a distinctive knuckle-shaped plume. Human Rights Watch (HRW) researchers say this signature allowed them to confirm that Israel is once again using the controversial weapon over southern Lebanon, renewing accusations that it is violating the laws of war.
The New York-based rights group verified and located eight images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions exploding over residential areas in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor during the early days of Israel’s assault in the Gaza war. Since then, more videos have surfaced appearing to show white phosphorus explosions over southern Lebanon. Researchers note that with 800,000 Lebanese people displaced from the region after Israeli forces ordered them to leave, many more instances may have gone unrecorded.
In the past week, Israeli soldiers have faced fierce resistance from Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon despite intense bombing. In recent days, Israeli forces have targeted roads, petrol stations, bridges, and medical centers in an effort to isolate southern Lebanon from the rest of the country.
White phosphorus is a chemical substance used in artillery shells, bombs, and rockets. It ignites upon contact with oxygen, burning at temperatures up to 800°C and producing large amounts of smoke. Militaries use it to create smokescreens, mark targets, or illuminate terrain at night—uses that military lawyers argue are legitimate. However, its use over civilian areas is controversial and considered by some to be illegal because it can start fires, cause severe burns, and release toxic fumes.
Ahmad Beydoun, an architect and PhD researcher at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, documented and mapped nearly 250 uses of white phosphorus by Israeli forces between October 2023 and November 2024, the last time they launched a full-scale attack on southern Lebanon. Beydoun, who described his count as a conservative estimate, found that 39% of the uses occurred in residential areas, 17% in agricultural lands, and 44% in forested or open terrain. “I think the Israeli army’s thinking is that they use it to burn down fields for visibility, so that people or Hezbollah militants don’t hide under the trees,” he said.
According to a report by the Lebanese non-profit Public Works Studio, white phosphorus was used to burn more than 2,000 hectares (4,940 acres) of southern Lebanese countryside, “including 873 hectares of dense forest with gum trees and vast areas covered with oak and pine trees.”
White phosphorus can also remain hidden in the soil and spontaneously ignite when uncovered by farmers, posing an ongoing threat if residents of southern Lebanon are able to return home. The report also warned of systemic effects, as repeated white phosphorus strikes saturate the soil with phosphoric acid and toxic heavy metals like cadmium, lead, and zinc. This accumulation “can reduce microbial diversity, deplete soil fertility [and] decrease agricultural productivity,” the report stated.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said they could not comment on HRW’s claim that white phosphorus was used illegally over Yohmor. “There may be visual similarities between smoke shells containing white phosphorus and smoke shells that do not, and caution is advised before making factual determinations regarding use of smoke shells with white phosphorus in individual cases based on visuals alone,” the spokesperson said.
Last week, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, reportedly avoided directly addressing HRW’s allegations. “We do everything we can to minimise civilian casualties,” he said.At a media briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, Beydoun stated, according to Anadolu Agency, “That’s why we asked people in southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River, to move north—to avoid civilian casualties.”
Beydoun said his findings indicate Israel’s military may be using white phosphorus to push people out and create a “buffer zone” on the Lebanese side of the border.
“It’s a practical tool for burning fields,” he added. “It’s mostly for scorching the earth.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the reported use of white phosphorus in southern Lebanon structured from basic to more advanced questions
Basic Understanding Definitions
1 What is white phosphorus
White phosphorus is a chemical substance that ignites spontaneously when exposed to air creating intense heat thick white smoke and severe slowhealing burns
2 Why is it used by militaries
It has legitimate military uses Its primary functions are to create smoke screens to hide troop movements and as an incendiary weapon to destroy equipment or illuminate battlefields at night
3 Whats the main accusation against Israel here
Researchers and organizations like Human Rights Watch accuse the Israeli military of using white phosphorus munitions in populated areas of southern Lebanon which can unlawfully burn civilians civilian structures and agricultural land
4 Is using white phosphorus a war crime
Not automatically Its use is regulated by international humanitarian law It becomes a war crime if it is used as an incendiary weapon against civilians or in civilian areas or if the attacks are indiscriminate Using it to burn forests or farmland could also violate laws prohibiting environmental destruction as a weapon of war
Impact Consequences
5 How does it harm people
It causes deep potentially fatal burns that can reignite if bandages are removed and oxygen reaches the particles Inhalation can damage lungs and internal organs The psychological trauma is also severe
6 Why is burning agricultural land a big deal
In southern Lebanon many communities rely on farming for their livelihood Destroying this land creates longterm economic devastation food insecurity and displaces people which can be a tactic to make areas uninhabitable
7 What makes the smoke dangerous
The thick white smoke contains phosphoric acids and other toxic compounds Inhaling it can cause serious respiratory damage or death especially in enclosed spaces or for people with preexisting conditions
Legal Verification Questions
8 How do researchers know its white phosphorus
They use multiple sources ontheground investigations analyzing videophotographic evidence of the characteristic white tendrils and intense fires and sometimes locating spent munition canisters that are unique to white phosphorus rounds
9 Has Israel responded to these accusations
The Israeli
