A phosphorus bomb, with its characteristic smoke trail, captured by the camera as it is dropped in the Nabatiyeh region, with Beaufort Castle in the background, on May 31, 2026, in the midst of the war between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Israel’s use of white phosphorus munitions in southern Lebanon has been documented since the 2024 war, as well as in earlier wars. More recently, their large-scale use was observed during the battle that led to the Israeli army’s capture of the Beaufort Castle, in the heights overlooking Nabatieh, on May 31, as part of the war that has pitted it against Hezbollah since March 2.Such munitions have also been reported in recent days during fighting around Kfar Tibnit, near Nabatieh, where Israeli troops are attempting to seize the strategic Ali Taher hill.Despite difficulty in obtaining information from active combat zones and the inability of experts to collect samples, the specialists interviewed for this article confirmed the use of this type of weaponry.“Israeli forces use white phosphorus munitions primarily to create smoke screens...
Israel’s use of white phosphorus munitions in southern Lebanon has been documented since the 2024 war, as well as in earlier wars. More recently, their large-scale use was observed during the battle that led to the Israeli army’s capture of the Beaufort Castle, in the heights overlooking Nabatieh, on May 31, as part of the war that has pitted it against Hezbollah since March 2.Such munitions have also been reported in recent days during fighting around Kfar Tibnit, near Nabatieh, where Israeli troops are attempting to seize the strategic Ali Taher hill.Despite difficulty in obtaining information from active combat zones and the inability of experts to collect samples, the specialists interviewed for this article confirmed the use of this type of weaponry.“Israeli forces use white phosphorus munitions primarily to create smoke...
