A journalist working for The Post found remnants of three 155-millimeter artillery rounds fired into Dheira, near the border of Israel, which incinerated at least four homes, residents said. The rounds, which eject felt wedges saturated with white phosphorous that burns at high temperatures, produce billowing smoke to obscure troop movements as it falls haphazardly over a wide area. Its contents can stick to skin, causing potentially fatal burns and respiratory damage, and its use near civilian areas could be prohibited under international humanitarian law.

Lot production codes found on the shells match the nomenclature used by the U.S. military to categorize domestically produced munitions, which show they were made by ammunition depots in Louisiana and Arkansas in 1989 and 1992. The light green color and other markings — like “WP” printed on one of the remnants — are consistent with white phosphorous rounds, according to arms experts.

White phosphorus ignites when in contact with oxygen and burns at temperatures up to 1,500 degrees, which can cause severe injuries. The chemicals left in the body can damage to internal organs, sometimes fatally, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

“The fact that U.S.-produced white phosphorus is being used by Israel in south Lebanon should be of great concern to U.S. officials,” Tirana Hassan, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, wrote in an email. “[Congress] should take reports of Israel’s use of white phosphorus seriously enough to reassess U.S. military aid to Israel.”

In 2009, Human Rights Watch documented Israel’s use of U.S.-made white phosphorus munitions in violation of international law in its 22-day offensive in Gaza. At least one of the shells found by The Post in Dheira was from the same batch of white phosphorus used by Israel in 2009, according to lot production codes.

Israel has used the munition more than 60 times in Lebanon’s border areas in the past two months, according to data collected by ACLED, a group that monitors war zones. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Dec. 2 that Israel’s use of the munition has “killed civilians and produced irreversible damage to more than 5 million square meters of forests and farmland, in addition to damaging thousands of olive trees."

Infographic: Violence Escalates in the Middle East in Response to the Israel-Palestine Conflict [Dr. Ameneh Mehvar; Ciro Murillo | Nov 29 2023 | The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)]

https://acleddata.com/2023/11/29/infographic-violence-escalates-in-the-middle-east-in-response-to-the-israel-palestine-conflict/

Gaza’s health system is ‘on its knees’ as Israel pushes into Khan Younis [Miriam Berger/Susannah George/Hajar Harb/Hazem Balousha | Dec 10 2023 | Washington Post]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/10/gaza-health-israel-khan-younis/

Heard about in video below:

Israel Used U.S. Provided White Phosphorus, WaPo Says; Biden Bypasses Congress To Arm Bibi [15:39 | Dec 11 2023 | The Hill]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d0Y7IHCWwk