Israeli army accuses Hezbollah of using white phosphorus shells

The Israeli army said on Thursday that it was investigating mortar shells fired by Hezbollah at northern Israel for possibly containing white phosphorus, Israeli media reported.

Two mortar shells had hit the Metulla area in northern Israel after being launched from southern Lebanon, causing a large fire.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in steadily escalating cross-border exchanges since 7 October following Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel.

"It appears that the two mortar shells contained phosphorus and belonged to the Israeli army but fell into the hands of Hezbollah," Israeli public radio KAN said. It further explained that the shells were probably old Israeli shells that had been taken out of service.

If confirmed, this would be the first time that Hezbollah used chemical munition against Israel.

Hezbollah has not commented on the reports, and a spokesperson for the group declined to respond to a request for comment from The New Arab.

White phosphorus is a substance that burns at 815 degrees Celsius and can stick to human skin, producing life-threatening and even fatal injuries, as well as a cloud of toxic smoke.

While munition can serve a legitimate military purpose if used to create a smokescreen, its use in civilian areas could be prohibited under international law – especially if fired via airburst, an indiscriminate method of deploying the munition.

The use of the munition by Israel in Lebanon and Gaza has come under scrutiny since the start of its military operations.

Rights groups have criticised Israel's use of the munition, especially in Gaza, where the densely populated nature of the territory makes the indiscriminate delivery of white phosphorus particularly dangerous.

"Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering," Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.

In Lebanon alone, Israel has used white phosphorus over seventy times, burning 7.9 million metres of forests, bushes and agricultural lands.

Recent lab testing by the Lebanese Ministry of Environment found levels of phosphorus over 900 times the normal amount in soil hit by white phosphorus munitions. Such levels could have negative impacts on agriculture and the local environment.

Testing also found high levels of heavy metals such as lead, which in other conflict zones has led to increased rates of birth defects and cancers over the long term.