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Two mortar shells that were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into the Metulla area last week are suspected to have contained white phosphorus, according to Israeli media reports on Wednesday.
The reports say that after the mortars landed, the explosions led to a big fire and even engulfed part of the road that they hit.
If this is true, this would be the first time that Hezbollah has used white phosphorus.
White phosphorus can be legally used in some situations
White phosphorus munitions can be legally employed on the battlefield for purposes such as producing smoke screens, generating illumination, marking targets, or causing the ignition of bunkers and buildings.
Under Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, white phosphorus is classified as an incendiary weapon. This protocol explicitly prohibits the use of incendiary weapons against military targets located in areas with civilian populations, such as Metulla, where the mortars landed. However, it is important to note that Hezbollah has not ratified the protocol and is not obligated by its provisions.
Hezbollah and the IDF have been regularly trading fire since the outbreak of the war.
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