Since the fall of 2023, approximately 260 Lebanese have suffered from white phosphorus poisoning as a result of Israel's bombardment of southern Lebanon, according to a statement from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Data from the Ministry, as reported by the national agency Al Wataniya, indicates that at least 257 people have been affected by phosphorus poisoning between October 2023 and August 20, 2024.
The escalation of violence has resulted in the deaths of 564 people in Lebanon since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel intensified. An additional 2,412 individuals have sustained injuries, with 678 requiring hospitalization. The Health Ministry also reported that over 110,099 people have been displaced from their homes due to the ongoing Israeli shelling.
A report by the Financial Times (FT) on June 27, citing radar and satellite data, highlighted the almost daily use of white phosphorus shells by Israel in targeting Hezbollah facilities. The report noted that this has rendered a five-kilometer zone along the Israel-Lebanon border uninhabitable. The main area of destruction is within a five-kilometer zone north of the UN-defined “blue line,” the border between Israel and Lebanon. The FT reported that Israeli Defense Forces have inflicted significant damage not only on Hezbollah's military infrastructure but also on civilian structures, including homes and agricultural land. Some southern Lebanese settlements near the border with Israel have been completely destroyed.
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Based on materials from TASS