What Visual Evidence Tells Us About Israel’s Use of White Phosphorus in Lebanon
New York Times
Jun-06-2026
Videos collected by The Times shows how the Israeli military has deployed a munition that can be extremely harmful over populated areas in Lebanon.
White phosphorus is not outright banned by the Geneva Conventions, but its use is tightly restricted by international humanitarian law. Its legality depends on how and where it is deployed:
Legal Use: Militaries are permitted to use white phosphorus to create battlefield smoke screens, provide illumination, and mark targets. It is not classified as a chemical weapon under the Chemical Weapons Convention because it primarily functions as an incendiary agent rather than a toxic poison.
Restricted Use: Under Protocol III of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (often associated with the Laws of War), white phosphorus is classified as an incendiary weapon. Using it as an incendiary weapon directly against civilians or targeting military forces within heavily populated civilian areas is illegal and widely considered a war crime.
Jun-06-2026
Videos collected by The Times shows how the Israeli military has deployed a munition that can be extremely harmful over populated areas in Lebanon.
White phosphorus is not outright banned by the Geneva Conventions, but its use is tightly restricted by international humanitarian law. Its legality depends on how and where it is deployed:
Legal Use: Militaries are permitted to use white phosphorus to create battlefield smoke screens, provide illumination, and mark targets. It is not classified as a chemical weapon under the Chemical Weapons Convention because it primarily functions as an incendiary agent rather than a toxic poison.
Restricted Use: Under Protocol III of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (often associated with the Laws of War), white phosphorus is classified as an incendiary weapon. Using it as an incendiary weapon directly against civilians or targeting military forces within heavily populated civilian areas is illegal and widely considered a war crime.
