Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The US vetoed a UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing it does not condemn Hamas nor grant "Israel" the right to “self-defense.”
Israeli occupation forces issue a new bombing threat against civilian buildings in the Southern Lebanese towns of Borj Qalaouiye and Chehabiyeh.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Extending the snapback mechanism deadline will test how independent Europeans truly are from the US.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Activating the snapback mechanism will nullify the Cairo Agreement, shut the door on cooperation between the IAEA and Tehran, and bar inspections.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: The diplomatic window remains open, but signs of activating the snapback sanctions mechanism on Iran are increasing.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Although the Cairo Agreement meets an important part of European demands, they have begun speaking of new conditions in recent communications.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: European countries show no independence in their stance toward Iran during the talks.
Israeli occupation forces issued bombing threats to bomb civilian buildings in Southern Lebanon.
Israeli media: Person behind shooting operation at Allenby Crossing is a Jordanian Army soldier.
Israeli media citing Emergency Services: Both wounded in Allenby shooting operation now dead.

US still 'looking into' Israeli W. Phosphorus use in Lebanon

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 13 Dec 2023 19:26
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

The United States says it will be investigating its close ally for its usage of white phosphorus in southern Lebanon after giving it the benefit of the doubt.

  • x
  • Shells that appears to be white phosphorus from Israeli artillery explode over al-Dhayrah, a Lebanese border village with occupied Palestine, south Lebanon, on October 16, 2023
    Shells that appear to be white phosphorus from Israeli artillery explode over al-Dhayrah, a Lebanese border village with occupied Palestine, south Lebanon, on October 16, 2023 (AP)

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby announced on Wednesday that the United States was investigating reports substantiated by The Washington Post and two human rights organizations indicating that the Israeli occupation utilized US-made and supplied white phosphorus shells in an attack on southern Lebanon.

The top white house official acknowledged a lack of complete transparency and visibility regarding the reported incidents involving white phosphorus usage in Lebanon. He stated that efforts were underway to gather more information, emphasizing ongoing inquiries with the Israeli regime to verify the accuracy of the reports. 

"We're looking into that…We're asking more questions of our Israeli counterparts about those reports to see if they're accurate and how if white phosphorus was used, how it was used," Kirby told CNN.

A Washington Post report that came out on Monday said the Israeli occupation used white phosphorus munitions handed to it by the US against Lebanon in October.

According to WashPo, the US-based newspaper got its hands on shell fragments found in al-Dhayrah, southern Lebanon, namely the remanent of three 155mm artillery rounds that injured at least nine civilians in what should be classified as a war crime.

A Washington Post journalist said production codes found on the shells match those by the US military to categorize domestically-produced munitions. One of the shells clearly has "WP" printed on it, which is consistent with white phosphorus rounds, arms experts said.

According to Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder on Wednesday, the US Department of Defense (DoD) is not formally reviewing the Amnesty International report about Israeli use of white phosphorus weapons in the Gaza conflict.

Related News

Lebanese officials slam Israeli aggression on South

'Israel' carries out airstrikes on five South Lebanese towns

"While DoD is not conducting a formal review, the Civilian Harm Mitigation Response team will consider the report along with other publicly available information related to civilian harm as they carry out their responsibility to advise senior DoD leaders. We have no further specifics to offer about the report at this time," Ryder said in a statement.

Proudly US-made, supplied

The internationally prohibited munition is part of multi-billion arms packages that the United States sends to the Israeli occupation, fueling the ongoing genocide in Gaza that has killed more than 18,000 Palestinians, at least half of whom are children.

Kirby, however, said white phosphorus had a "legitimate military utility", namely illumination and concealing movements.

"Obviously any time that we provide items like white phosphorous to another military, it is with the full expectation that it will be used in keeping with those legitimate purposes ... and in keeping with the law of armed conflict," he said.

Amnesty International underlines the incident should be investigated as a war crime. Although the Israeli occupation claims it was using the munition as a smokescreen, white phosphorus fell onto several homes and ignited wildfires, as well as wounded civilians, with black chemicals still being on the ground 40 days after the fact. Residents have reported that these chemicals combusted when they kicked them, which again proves that it is white phosphorus.

What does white phosphorus do?

White phosphorus, with its dual capability for marking, signaling, and obscuring or as an incendiary weapon, can cause severe burns to individuals and ignite structures, fields, and other civilian objects in the vicinity.

White phosphorus is a combustible (ignites when exposed to oxygen) and a severely fatal chemical. The combustible reaction produces light, heavy white smoke, and heat of about 815°C. 

White phosphorus is highly soluble in human flesh and causes deadly thermal and chemical burns that can go as deep as the bones. 

Direct contact is extremely excruciating and can leave long-lasting damage to internal organs. Even inhaling its vapor can cause severe inflammation in the trachea. 

  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation
  • Palestine
  • Occupied Palestine
  • Gaza
  • Lebanon
  • South Lebanon
  • John Kirby
  • White phosphorus
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Why is Choose Love using a firm with British and US intelligence connections to run a pro-Palestine musical event? (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Together for Palestine: Troubling questions about the organisers of this huge event

  • Opinion
  • 17 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

  • Palestine
  • 14 Sep 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

12 Israeli soldiers killed, wounded in Resistance operation in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 18 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A Hezbollah supporter who lost his sight in a pager attack carried out by "Israel" on Sept. 17, 2024, covers his eyes with a red headband inscribed with the name "Hussein" during Ashoura, July 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'We Have Recovered': Lebanon marks 1st anniversary of Pager Attack

The Arab neighborhood of El Za'im, on the outskirts of east Occupied Al-Quds in the West Bank, near where Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement project, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Palestine

'Israel’s' deliberate policies drive West Bank economy toward collapse

Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Politics

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns over parent company curbing activism

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll
US & Canada

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS