Video: Border clashes intensify as HRW condemns Israel’s use of white phosphorus

Hezbollah targeted groups of Israeli soldiers at the Berkat Risha and Malkia posts on Wednesday. This came after Israeli drones had conducted overnight raids on the southern coastal town of al-Naqoura and the outskirts of al-Jebbayn, Aita al-Shaab, and Ramia, escalating the clashes along the frontier.

The Israeli military responded by shelling southern villages along the border with incendiary shells and flare bombs, which caused fires in areas such as Naqoura and Alma al-Shaab.

Human Rights Watch reported that Israel used white phosphorus incendiary shells on residential buildings in at least five towns and villages in southern Lebanon, potentially harming civilians and violating international law.

The conflict between Hamas ally Hezbollah and Israel, which has been ongoing for nearly eight months, has seen an increase in intensity over the past week. There have been repeated strikes on vehicles in Lebanon, and the violence has spread beyond the south into eastern Lebanon.

On Tuesday, a Hezbollah fighter was killed in a strike targeting a motorcycle in Naqoura. Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for ten attacks on Israeli troops and positions, including the use of suicide drones.

The cross-border clashes started after Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which sparked the current conflict in the Gaza Strip. Israel has since increased its targeting of Hezbollah fighters and allied militants in Lebanon.

Since early October, the violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 455 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters, but including 88 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, at least 14 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed, according to the Israeli army.