Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions over a residential area in southern Lebanon,

raising fresh concerns over civilian safety as the regional conflict widens.

The New York-based rights group says artillery-fired rounds exploded over homes in the town of Yohmor on March 3, igniting fires and placing residents at serious risk. The Israeli military says it is not aware of such use and cannot confirm the allegation.

Evidence gathered over burning neighbourhoods

According to Human Rights Watch, investigators verified and geolocated seven images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions deployed above a residential district.

Footage also shows civil defence teams rushing to extinguish fires in at least two houses and a vehicle. Analysts say the imagery places the explosions directly above populated streets.

HRW researchers warned that using such munitions in civilian areas could breach international humanitarian law.

A weapon feared for its brutal effects

White phosphorus ignites instantly when exposed to oxygen, producing intense heat and thick smoke. Militaries sometimes use it to create smokescreens or illuminate battlefields.

But the substance is also a powerful incendiary weapon. It can cause severe burns, respiratory injuries and organ failure, and may continue burning until deprived of oxygen.

Rights groups say its use over residential areas can ignite buildings and expose civilians to catastrophic injuries.

Israel denies knowledge of the strike

The Israel Defense Forces said it was “currently unaware” of the alleged incident and could not confirm that shells containing white phosphorus were fired.

The military added that its policy is not to use such munitions in densely populated areas, except in limited circumstances.

Israel has continued launching strikes against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah despite a fragile ceasefire reached in 2024.

War spreading across southern Lebanon

Israeli forces have intensified operations across southern Lebanon after cross-border attacks by Hezbollah fighters. Troops have also entered several border zones.

Authorities in Lebanon say at least 394 people have been killed in recent strikes, with more than half a million displaced.

HRW researcher Ramzi Kaiss warned the alleged strike in Yohmor could have “dire consequences for civilians,” urging Israel to halt the use of white phosphorus and calling on arms suppliers to reconsider military assistance.

HRW accuses Israel of using white phosphorus over Lebanese town

This is not the first time as well Israel has used white phosphorus.

At least eight people were killed and 21 injured in an Israeli airstrike on the Ramlet al‑Baida beachfront in Beirut where displaced families were sleeping in tents early Thursday, March 12, 2026, officials said. The attack hit an area along the corniche where families forced from their homes during the ongoing conflict had taken temporary refuge.

The seaside attack underscores the broader humanitarian toll of the conflict raging in Lebanon since early March 2026, when fighting intensified between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Lebanese authorities say the war has so far killed hundreds of civilians and displaced hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

According to ministry figures, fatalities in the latest wave of hostilities have climbed into the 600s, with more than 1,500 people wounded and over 800,000 displaced from their homes.

Eight killed on beachfront in Lebanon where displaced families slept in tents