{"id":13159,"date":"2024-11-01T23:34:22","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T23:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silatwassel.com\/lebanese-face-the-deadly-threat-of-suffocation-on-israeli-bombardment-and-the-polluted-air-we-breathe\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T18:34:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T18:34:27","slug":"lebanese-face-the-deadly-threat-of-suffocation-on-israeli-bombardment-and-the-polluted-air-we-breathe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silatwassel.com\/en\/lebanese-face-the-deadly-threat-of-suffocation-on-israeli-bombardment-and-the-polluted-air-we-breathe\/","title":{"rendered":"Lebanese Face the Deadly Threat of Suffocation\u2026 On Israeli Bombardment and the Polluted Air We Breathe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Marwa, a woman in her thirties from Mount Lebanon, never expected her home\u2019s glass fa\u00e7ade to turn into a giant screen projecting scenes of Israeli shelling and airstrikes reaching the Lebanese capital. Living in the mountains facing Beirut at an altitude of 500 meters, her children have grown used to the constant bombardment as if it were part of daily life. But the most dangerous part is the smoke from the strikes seeping through their glass windows, trapping them between the fear of explosions and the hazards of toxic air. She told Silat Wassel: \u201cEvery night, a few hours after the bombing subsides, the smoke rises, carrying the smell of chemicals. We can no longer tolerate the odor, which causes us shortness of breath. It\u2019s gotten to the point where we can\u2019t even open the windows anymore.\u201dShe added: \u201cI can\u2019t even hang the laundry on the balcony\u2014I\u2019m afraid smoke particles will cling to the clothes. We don\u2019t even know what it is yet, or whether it contains chemicals.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Salah, a 40-year-old displaced man from southern Lebanon, shared his daily struggle with inhaling suffocating fumes:\u201cWe see thick black smoke drifting through the air and entering everywhere. There\u2019s no escape from breathing it. The coughing never stops\u2014it\u2019s like we\u2019re living in the middle of a fire that never goes out. We\u2019re fighting to stay alive\u2014not only because of the destruction around us, but also because of the polluted air that\u2019s become part of our daily existence. We live here between walls of despair and suffocation, as if this black smoke won\u2019t disappear anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The Chemists Syndicate vs. the Ministry of Health \u2014 conflicting information<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Amid Israel\u2019s ongoing airstrikes on Lebanon, the Lebanese Chemists Syndicate issued a warning statement<\/a> on October 10, 2024, confirming:\u201cThe scale of destruction and the penetration of buildings and the ground to depths of tens of meters confirm that Israel has used internationally banned depleted uranium shells<\/a>, which have immense penetration power.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

The Chemists Syndicate warned of the serious risk of contracting dangerous illnesses from inhaling dust produced by the bombings, urging civilians to avoid targeted areas within a radius of over two kilometers. For those who must approach such areas, it recommended wearing dust-protective clothing and chemical-grade masks. <\/p>\n\n

In contrast, the Lebanese Ministry of Health issued a statement <\/a>denying \u201cany evidence so far of uranium use in Israeli strikes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

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The Lebanese Chemists Syndicate, in a warning statement issued on October 10, 2024<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Human Rights Watch: Israel shelled 17 Lebanese towns with white phosphorus <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

While the Chemists Syndicate<\/a> and the Ministry of Health<\/a> remain at odds over whether there is proof of uranium use in Israeli strikes, Human Rights Watch<\/a> confirmed in a report that \u201cIsraeli forces have used white phosphorus munitions in at least 17 towns in southern Lebanon since October 2023, including five towns where airburst munitions were unlawfully used over populated residential areas.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

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Human Rights Watch confirmed in its report that \u201cIsraeli forces used white phosphorus munitions in at least 17 towns in southern Lebanon since October 2023, five of which saw airburst munitions unlawfully used over populated residential areas.\u201d <\/pre>\n\n
The organization verified 47 photos and videos from southern Lebanon that indicate the use of white phosphorus munitions, and geolocated them to the border villages of Kfarkela, Meiss El Jabal, Al-Bustan, Markaba, and Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon.   White phosphorus contains toxic chemical compounds that can enter the human body through breathing or inhalation, causing respiratory system damage and organ failure. It also causes severe burns, often reaching the bone, and white phosphorus burns covering more than 10% of the human body are often fatal.    <\/p>\n\n
The Israeli enemy has used all internationally prohibited weapons in Lebanon.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
To examine the types of weapons and shells used by the Israeli occupation army that caused multiple cases of suffocation following bombardments and airstrikes, Dr. Ali Hamieh<\/a>, a writer and researcher in security and military affairs, told Silat Wassel that the Israeli enemy uses all internationally prohibited weapons and weapons of mass destruction\u2014from its war on Gaza to its war on Lebanon\u2014targeting Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs, as well as the south and the Bekaa, with dozens of tons of internationally banned materials. <\/p>\n\n
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