Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Israel to halt the use of white phosphorus munitions, reporting their use over civilian homes in Yohmor, a southern town in Lebanon, on March 3.

HRW’s accusation of white phosphorus use is backed by seven images of airburst chemical munitions, which the rights group verified and geolocated. In one of the images, HRW identified use of the chemical by the shape of a smoke cloud. Other images that the revealed fires on residential rooftops, balconies, and at least one car.

HRW previously documented white phosphorus-use by Israeli forces in at least 17 municipalities across south Lebanon between October 2023 and May 2024. The UN Human Rights Office also exposed Israel use of the chemical in Gaza.

White phosphorus can be dispersed in artillery shells, bombs, and rockets. The dangerous chemical ignites when exposed to oxygen, setting civilian objects on fire. On contact with human skin, white phosphorus can dissolve flesh to the bone, lead to organ failure, and cause wounds that re-inflame once the dressings are removed, with seemingly minor burns often being fatal.

International humanitarian law restricts the use of white phosphorus. Protocol III of The Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons prohibits “the use of weapons primarily designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injuries against civilians.” While Israel is a party to the convention, it is not a party to Protocol III.

Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at HRW, urged Israel to halt the use of white phosphorus and urged all states supplying Israel with weapons to suspend shipments.