The UN said it was “very concerned” by a report that the Israeli army used US-supplied white phosphorus munitions during an attack in southern Lebanon.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said he could not confirm the information. He noted:
We’re obviously very concerned about any use of these types of incendiary munitions, especially in populated areas. But we will see if I have anything more to share with you on that.
The Washington Post reported an Israeli attack on 16 October on the Lebanese town of Dheira, near the border with Israel.
Human rights group Amnesty International called the incident a potential war crime. According to the report, among the nine wounded in the attack, at least three were hospitalised.
Anadolu also took several photographs showing the use of white phosphorus bombs against Gaza civilians, and several lawyers said they could be used as evidence in a complaint against Israel.
The border between Lebanon and Israel has been tense since 7 October, with intermittent exchanges of fire between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants, the deadliest clash since the full-scale war between the two sides began in 2006. Tensions along the border came amid an Israeli military offensive in Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.
Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 240 hostages, according to the Israeli government. Since then, 18,205 people have been killed in Israel’s ensuing assault on the Gaza Strip, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. At least 49,645 people have been wounded and at least 7,600 people are missing, according to the Hamas media office.
