Human Rights Watch: Israel Used White Phosphorus 23 Times in Lebanon Between March, May

Human Rights Watch: Israel Used White Phosphorus 23 Times in Lebanon Between March, May
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Human Rights Watch said it documented 23 instances of the Israeli military’s use of white phosphorus munitions in Lebanon between March and May, warning of the weapons’ severe humanitarian consequences and calling for stronger international regulations.

In a report prepared with Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic, the organization said white phosphorus can cause deep burns and long-term physical, psychological and social harm. The substance ignites when exposed to oxygen and can continue burning when fragments inside wounds come into contact with air again.

The report warned that using such munitions over populated areas in a way that fails to distinguish between civilians and combatants could violate international humanitarian law.

Human Rights Watch highlighted what it described as legal gaps in the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, noting that white phosphorus is often not classified as an incendiary weapon when its stated purpose is smoke production or illumination.

The organization urged governments to address these gaps through international discussions and called for stricter rules on the production, transfer and use of white phosphorus, arguing that a comprehensive ban would provide the greatest humanitarian protection.