Israeli Forces Use Phosphorus Shells in Southern Lebanon, Reports Say

BEIRUT (NNA) — Israeli forces launched a fresh wave of attacks across southern Lebanon overnight and into early Saturday, employing phosphorus shells, heavy artillery, and airstrikes that have left entire villages in ruins, according to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) as reported by Anadolu. The assault, which began late Friday and continued through dawn, targeted residential areas and hillsides across the western and central sectors, marking yet another escalation in a conflict that has already claimed thousands of lives.

Overnight Assault Targets Residential Towns

The NNA reported that heavy Israeli artillery shelling early Saturday targeted the town of Mansouri, the vicinity of Bayt al-Sayyad, and the outskirts of Majdal Zoun. Extensive explosions were carried out overnight across all three locations, with the agency describing the destruction in Bayt al-Sayyad as particularly severe. "No house in the town had been left undamaged," the NNA said, painting a picture of a community reduced to rubble.

Similar explosions were reported in the towns of Hadatha, Beit Yahoun, and Aita al-Jabal, while machine-gun fire was directed toward nearby valleys. Israeli drones continued to fly over villages and towns in the western and central sectors of southern Lebanon, maintaining a constant aerial presence that has become a fixture of daily life for residents under occupation.

At approximately 6:45 a.m. local time (0345GMT), Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes on Ali al-Taher hill on the northern outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Overnight, Israeli artillery also heavily shelled the outskirts of Dawhat Kfar Remman, the vicinity of Dabsha hill, and the wooded area of Ali al-Taher, using phosphorus shells — a weapon whose use in populated areas has drawn repeated condemnation from human rights organizations.

The Humanitarian Toll of Phosphorus Weapons

White phosphorus is a chemical substance dispersed in artillery shells, bombs, and rockets that ignites when exposed to oxygen. Its incendiary effects can inflict death or cruel injuries, and it can set homes, agricultural areas, and other civilian objects on fire. The substance sticks to skin and burns through flesh, often causing injuries that are slow to heal and leaving survivors with permanent physical and psychological scars.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) verified in June 2024 that Israeli forces used white phosphorus munitions in at least 17 municipalities across south Lebanon since October 2023, including five municipalities where airburst munitions were unlawfully used over populated residential areas. The organization interviewed eight south Lebanon residents and verified and geolocated 47 photos and videos showing airburst white phosphorus munitions landing on residential buildings in the border villages of Kafr Kila, Mays al-Jabal, Boustane, Markaba, and Aita al-Chaab.

Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said as of May 28, 2024, that exposure to white phosphorus had injured at least 173 people since October 2023. The true figure is likely higher, as many cases go unreported in areas where access to medical care is limited and where ongoing attacks prevent documentation.

What International Law Says

Under international humanitarian law, the use of airburst white phosphorus is unlawfully indiscriminate in populated areas. The weapon's effects cannot be limited to military targets, and its use in civilian areas constitutes a violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality that form the bedrock of the laws of armed conflict.

Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons is the only legally binding instrument dedicated specifically to incendiary weapons. Lebanon is a party to Protocol III, while Israel is not, meaning Israel is not bound by its provisions — a gap that human rights advocates say leaves civilians without adequate legal protection.

"Israel's use of airburst white phosphorus munitions in populated areas indiscriminately harms civilians and has led many to leave their homes," said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. In March 2026, HRW again documented that Israeli forces unlawfully used artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions over homes on March 3, 2026, in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor, demonstrating that this pattern of behavior has continued unabated.

The June 26 Framework Agreement and Its Failures

Saturday's attacks come despite the framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel under US auspices on June 26. The agreement was intended to establish a mechanism for de-escalation and to facilitate the Lebanese army's deployment in southern Lebanon. However, Israel has continued staging attacks in several parts of the region, which Beirut says are hindering the army's planned deployments.

The continued Israeli presence and attacks undermine the very purpose of the agreement, leaving the Lebanese state unable to extend its sovereignty over its own territory. For residents of southern Lebanon, the agreement has brought no tangible change to their daily reality of bombardment, displacement, and fear.

Israeli forces remain present in several parts of southern Lebanon, some of which they have occupied for decades. Others were occupied during a previous round of fighting in 2023 and 2024, when Israeli forces advanced more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) into sovereign Lebanese territory. This ongoing occupation, combined with the regular use of heavy weaponry, has created a situation where the framework agreement exists in name only.

The Human Cost of Continued Attacks

Since March 2, wide-ranging Israeli attacks have killed 4,348 victims and injured more than 12,000, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. These figures represent not just statistics but individual lives — farmers unable to tend their olive groves, children who cannot attend school, families who have been displaced multiple times, and communities that have been systematically destroyed.

The destruction of Bayt al-Sayyad, where no house has been left undamaged, is emblematic of a broader pattern. Entire villages along the border have been rendered uninhabitable, their residents scattered across Lebanon in temporary shelters or with relatives. The psychological toll is immeasurable, with generations growing up knowing only conflict and displacement.

Agricultural land, which forms the economic backbone of southern Lebanon, has been scorched by phosphorus fires and cratered by artillery. The long-term environmental damage will take years to assess and even longer to remediate, compounding the immediate humanitarian crisis with a slow-burning ecological one.

Regional and International Concern

The international community has expressed growing concern over the escalating violence, though concrete action has been limited. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has repeatedly called for restraint, and various diplomatic efforts have been made to broker a lasting ceasefire, but these have so far failed to halt the attacks.

Regional actors have also weighed in, with diplomatic efforts continuing through international channels. UNIFIL's mandate in southern Lebanon is due to expire at the end of the year, with its full withdrawal expected in 2027, as discussions continue over the future of the peacekeeping force's mission. However, without meaningful enforcement mechanisms or consequences for violations, the framework agreement and diplomatic statements carry little weight on the ground.

For the people of southern Lebanon, the situation remains dire. Each night brings the sound of drones overhead, the rumble of artillery, and the fear that their home may be next. The international community's failure to hold Israel accountable for its use of internationally condemned weapons in civilian areas has left residents with little hope that their plight will be addressed.

As the attacks continue, the question is not whether the framework agreement will hold — it has already failed — but how many more lives will be lost before meaningful action is taken. The residents of Mansouri, Bayt al-Sayyad, Majdal Zoun, and countless other villages deserve more than statements of concern. They deserve an end to the violence and the opportunity to rebuild their lives in peace.

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Sources: Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency, National News Agency (NNA), Human Rights Watch.

By Fatima Al-Rashid, Staff Writer