- Israel has used white phosphorus in attacks on southern Lebanon
- Rights groups say it amounted to a war crime on at least one occasion
- Research now shows that the ammunition was supplied by the US
The White House is concerned about allegations that Israel used white phosphorus supplied by the US in an attack in southern Lebanon, a spokesman said on Monday.
Weapons packed with white phosphorus are not banned under international law, but are heavily regulated because of the way they can cause horrific burns.
An investigation published on Monday accuses the US of supplying ammunition that injured nine civilians in an attack in October.
“We have seen the reports and are certainly concerned about them,” White House spokesman John Kirby said Monday.
“We're going to ask questions to find out more.”
A photographer captured this attack on October 15 on the Lebanese border village of al-Bustan. It shows the telltale smoke trails of white phosphorus
White House spokesman John Kirby said the US was concerned about the reports
White phosphorus has legitimate uses on the battlefield, such as marking targets or producing a smokescreen to obscure troop movements.
But its use is highly controversial and Israel has already been accused of firing it over Gaza City, despite laws saying its use must aim to minimize civilian casualties.
The Washingtonpost revealed on Monday that one of its reporters found remains of three 155-millimeter artillery shells fired at Dheira, near the border with Israel, that bore markings consistent with white phosphorus.
The shells throw out bits of felt that are soaked in the substance. They burn at high temperatures and produce billowing clouds of smoke.
The production codes on the grenades suggest they were produced at ammunition depots in Louisiana and Arkansas in 1989 and 1992.
Kirby added: “It is clear that every time we supply things like white phosphorus to another military, we have the full expectation that it will be used in accordance with those legitimate purposes and in accordance with the law of armed conflict .'
Amnesty International had previously raised concerns about the use of white phosphorus in Lebanon.
It said the attack on Dheira should be treated as a war crime.
Smoke rises from Israeli shelling in Dheira, a Lebanese border village with Israel, southern Lebanon, Monday, October 16, 2023.
“It is extraordinarily heinous that the Israeli military has indiscriminately used white phosphorus in violation of international humanitarian law,” said Aya Majzoub, deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“The unlawful use of white phosphorus in Lebanon in the town of Dheira on October 16 seriously endangered the lives of civilians, many of whom were hospitalized and displaced, and whose homes and cars caught fire.”
Israel has defended its behavior.
According to Reuters, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, asked about the report that Israel used white phosphorus in Lebanon, said: “The IDF and the entire security establishment are acting in accordance with international law. That is how we have acted and how we will act.”