Israel accused of chemical attacks in Lebanon

INTERNATIONAL – ASIA

10 MARCH 2026

• The human rights group Human Rights Watch said in a report that the Israeli military “unlawfully” hit a village in southern Lebanon with shells containing white phosphorus, a controversial incendiary munition.
• Through geolocating and verifying seven images, the New York-based rights group said Israel fired white phosphorus using artillery at residential areas in the southern Lebanese village of Yohmor on March 3, 2026.
• It happened hours after the Israeli military warned the residents of the village and dozens of others in southern Lebanon to evacuate.
• White phosphorus can be used to create smokescreens and to illuminate battlefields.
• Human rights advocates say the use of white phosphorus is illegal under international law when the white-hot chemical substance is fired into populated areas.
• It can set buildings on fire and burn human flesh down to the bone. Survivors are at risk of infections and organ or respiratory failure, even if their burns are small.
• Organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said the munition was used in Israel’s last war with Hezbollah, over a year ago, on numerous occasions in southern Lebanon while civilians were still present.
• In February 2026, Lebanon accused Israel of spraying the herbicide glyphosate on the Lebanese side of their shared border, with President Joseph Aoun decrying it as a “crime against the environment”.
• Lebanese authorities said that Israel’s attacks since March 2, 2026 have killed at least 486 people including 83 children.