HAMILTON, Canada

Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon on Wednesday avoided responding to reports about Israeli use of "white phosphorus munitions over homes" in southern Lebanon.

"We do everything we can to minimize civilian casualties, and we are very precise ammunition, and we are very good in intelligence," he said at a media briefing at UN headquarters in New York, adding that he is also not "familiar" with white phosphorus.

"That's why we actually asked the people from southern Lebanon, south of the Litani, to move to the north, to avoid civilian casualties," he said.

A report by Human Rights Watch indicated that the Israeli army was using "white phosphorus munitions over homes" in southern Lebanon.

It said Israeli forces used "white phosphorus munitions over homes on March 3, 2026 in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor."

The report "verified and geolocated eight images showing airburst white phosphorus munitions being deployed over a residential part of the town and civil defense workers responding to fires in at least two homes and one car in that area."

Pledging to continue attacks on Hezbollah, Danon urged residents in Lebanon to leave the area. "Don't stay there. We are coming after Hezbollah. Don't be in that area."

Although Danon claimed that Israel "does not want to be operating inside Lebanon," he told Lebanon that "there are only two options here; either the Lebanese state acts to dismantle Hezbollah's military in southern Lebanon, or Israel will."

Since Israel and the US launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 victims, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hostilities have escalated.

The conflict spilled over to Lebanon, where nearly 600 victims have been killed and 1,500 injured in Israeli airstrikes since March 2, amid cross-border attacks with Hezbollah.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.