Abbas Baalbaki, an environmental chemistry researcher at the American University in Beirut, has shed light on the enduring and hazardous impacts of white phosphorus munitions deployed by Israel in southern Lebanon. Baalbaki’s analysis reveals that, contrary to expectations, samples of white phosphorus collected from the region not only remained active and highly toxic but also unexpectedly ignited during examination. This study looked at the substance’s prolonged environmental and health hazards, which significantly surpass established scientific understanding.
Baalbaki articulates the shock and danger associated with the persistence of white phosphorus’s toxicity: “The samples began emitting fumes… A few seconds of exposure was enough to give me brain fog, lack of concentration, extreme headaches, fatigue, and stomach cramps for days,” he shared with Al Jazeera.
The broader implications of the use of white phosphorus in Lebanon point to a deliberate strategy aimed at making the fertile and agriculturally rich southern region of Lebanon uninhabitable. This tactic, as experts and local researchers suggest, serves a dual purpose: to disrupt the livelihoods of the local population by devastating the agricultural landscape and to pose a lingering threat through the environmental persistence of toxic substances. Antoine Kallab, associate director of the AUB Nature Conservation Center, emphasized the weapon’s intent to render land unusable, stating, “White phosphorus isn’t like a bullet or targeted ammunition; it’s made to make land uninhabitable.”
The deployment of white phosphorus has not only ignited international concern but also prompted human rights organizations to call for an immediate suspension of arms transfers to Israel. The memorandum released by Oxfam and Human Rights Watch cites the use of white phosphorus in Gaza and south Lebanon as part of a broader array of violations of international humanitarian law.
The enduring impact on south Lebanon’s agricultural sector is profound, with nearly 10 million square meters of land already scorched. This devastation has uprooted communities, obliterated crops, and left a legacy of fear and uncertainty regarding the safety of consuming local produce and water. The war’s toll on agriculture, a critical component of the region’s economy, exacerbates an already dire economic crisis in Lebanon.
In essence, the consequences of deploying white phosphorus extend far beyond immediate conflict, inflicting long-term environmental degradation, health hazards, and economic paralysis on the affected regions.
