ISRAEL has broken international law by using white phosphorus incendiary shells on residential buildings in southern Lebanon, Human Rights Watch alleged today.

This coincided with United Nations agencies warning that over one million Palestinians in Gaza could face starvation by the middle of next month if there is no end to the current Israeli military offensive.

In a damning new report, the global human rights group says there is no evidence of burns injuries caused by white phosphorus in Lebanon, but that researchers have “heard accounts indicating possible respiratory damage.”

Human rights campaigners point out that it is a crime under international law to fire white phosphorus munitions into populated areas.

Israel maintains that it is used only as a smokescreen and not to target civilians.

The white-hot chemical substance can set buildings on fire and burn human flesh down to the bone. Survivors are at risk of infections and organ or respiratory failure, even if their burns are small.

The group says it has interviews as well as verified photos and videos that show Israeli-launched white phosphorus shells landing on residential buildings in five Lebanese border towns and villages.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says that at least 173 people have required medical care after exposure to white phosphorus.

The researchers found that the incendiary weapons had been used in residential areas in Kfar Kila, Mays al-Jabal, Boustan, Markaba, and Aita al-Shaab.

The group also accused Israel of using white phosphorus in residential areas in October 2023.

Human Rights Watch called on the Lebanese government to allow the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute “grave international crimes” within Lebanon from October 2023.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation said in a joint report that hunger in the Gaza Strip is worsening as a result of heavy restrictions on humanitarian access and the collapse of the local food system.

It says the situation remains dire in the north of the coastal enclave, which has been surrounded and largely isolated by Israeli troops for months. 

The Israeli military claims that it has allowed hundreds of aid lorries to enter through the Kerem Shalom border crossing in recent weeks, but the UN says it is often unable to retrieve the goods because the security situation is so dire. 

Israel’s military onslaught was sparked by a surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, during which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage.

More than 36,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since then, according to local health officials.