Evidence Shows Israel Used Weapon Banned for Its Civilian Impact on Lebanon

Cluster munitions release dozens or hundreds of “bomblets” that have a high failure rate, leaving explosive hazards.

By Sharon Zhang, Truthout Published November 19, 2025

An Israeli soldier rides in the army Merkava main battle tank at a position in northern Israel along the border with southern Lebanon on November 6, 2025.

Support justice-driven, accurate and transparent news — make a quick donation to Truthout today! 

Israeli forces used a munition widely banned for its impact on civilians amid their war in Lebanon, new reporting finds as Israel carries out new assaults in Lebanon despite the ceasefire agreement.

Photo evidence of Israeli munitions remnants from three different locations in southern Lebanon suggests that the weapons were cluster munitions, The Guardian reported Wednesday, citing half a dozen arms experts who examined the photos.

These munitions scatter dozens or hundreds of “bomblets” across an area spanning several football fields. For decades, “civilians have paid dearly for [cluster munitions’] unreliability and inaccuracy,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has noted, as the weapons are imprecise by definition.

The evidence was found south of the Litani River, in Wadi Zibqin, Wadi Barghouz, and Wadi Deir Siryan, The Guardian found. The publication reports that this is the first evidence of such munitions being used in Lebanon since Israel first used them in its invasion of Lebanon in 2006.

They are especially dangerous as up to 40 percent of submunitions don’t explode on impact, leaving behind unexploded ordnance that could potentially harm civilians later if they come across them.