Several people have been injured with symptoms of suffocation due to white phosphorus artillery shots carried out by israeli forcesduring the early hours of this Tuesday against southern Lebanon, as reported by the Lebanese National News Agency (ANN).

“The civil defense teams of the Risala Islamic Scouts are working to transfer to the Tire Government Hospital (south) a series of cases from the town of Al Dhahira, which was targeted by phosphorus artillery during the night and caused suffocation” , the official agency has stated.

The same troops have offered medical treatment on the ground to other injured people who do not require hospitalization. According to ANN, several areas in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel reported violence overnight, including “hostile” attacks that hit homes in Al Dhahira and the launching of flares into the skies throughout the area as far as Ras Naquora, at the western end of the divide.

Israel kills 4 Hezbollah members

For its part, the Israeli Army announced this Tuesday that it has thwarted an attempt to infiltrate their territory by “terrorist cells” who were discovered by his forces as they approached the border wall on the Lebanese side, adding that he killed four of the attackers.

Since last October 8, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and Israeli troops have engaged in a series of cross attacks in the border areas, where there have also been some actions claimed by Palestinian factions present in Lebanese territory.

The NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced last Thursday that Israel used white phosphorus, an internationally banned weapon, in military operations against Gaza and Lebanon, while warning of the serious risks that this weaponry poses to the civilian population.

That point has been denied by Israel. The Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, announced this Monday that his Government continues to maintain contacts to prevent Lebanon from being involved in the war between Israel and the militias of the Gaza Strip, but acknowledged that it is impossible “to predict what may happen.” This Monday the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, is in Lebanon.