Residents in southern Lebanon continue to face the dangers of unexploded ordnance and other remnants of Israeli attacks long after the fighting has subsided [Getty]
A suspected unexploded cluster bomb shaped like a small football has been reported in southern Lebanon, prompting urgent warnings to returning residents – and children in particular – as Israeli remnants of war continue to endanger civilians long after attacks have ended.
A picture, reportedly taken in the town of Doueir in south Lebanon, circulated widely on Lebanese social media this week and showed an object resembling a small football lying on the ground. The New Arab could not independently verify the image.
A Lebanese army source told The New Arab that authorities were investigating the claims.
Lebanese newspaper Annahar reported that activists had shared an image of what was suspected to be an unexploded cluster bomb in one of the villages of south Lebanon, amid calls for children not to approach suspicious objects and for residents to alert the relevant authorities.
The warnings come as families return to war-ravaged towns and villages in south Lebanon following the US-Iran agreement to end the war in the Middle East, even as Israel continues to occupy parts of the south and carry out attacks.
Mohamad Safa, executive director and UN representative of Patriotic Vision Association, said the reported discovery recalled Israel’s long record of leaving behind deadly weapons that continue to threaten children.
“When I was 6 years old, Israel dropped bombs disguised as toys on us in Lebanon,” Safa wrote on X.
“What kind of monster terrorist must one be to leave a cluster bomb disguised as footballs during the World Cup, to attract children to play with it to tear them apart. The fact that the world is so silent about this is absolutely enraging,” he added.
تداول ناشطون صورة لجسم يُشتبه بأنه قنبلة عنقودية غير منفجرة على شكل كرة قدم في إحدى القرى في جنوب لبنان، وسط دعوات لتحذير الأطفال وعدم الاقتراب من الأجسام المشبوهة وإبلاغ الجهات المختصة pic.twitter.com/0EdbI6jd8y
— Annahar النهار (@Annahar) June 16, 2026
Cluster bombs have long posed a deadly threat to civilians in Lebanon, particularly children, who may mistake unexploded bomblets for toys or harmless objects.
After Israel’s 2006 war on Lebanon, the United Nations confirmed hundreds of Israeli cluster munition strike sites across the south. Unexploded bomblets continued to kill and maim civilians after the ceasefire, with children among those most at risk.
A 2006 Reuters report from Bint Jbeil described an unexploded cluster bomb “like a small black football” lying near a family home, warning that a child could detonate it with a careless kick.
At the time, residents said they were forced to keep children indoors because streets and fields were littered with unexploded Israeli munitions.
In Gaza, Israeli forces have been accused of leaving behind explosive devices disguised as toys among the rubble of destroyed neighbourhoods.
In November 2025, Gaza health officials alleged that explosives resembling dolls, teddy bears and other children’s toys had been found in areas affected by Israeli military operations.
The latest warning has revived those memories in south Lebanon, where many families are only beginning to return to homes damaged or destroyed by months of Israeli bombardment.
Residents and local groups have urged people not to touch any suspicious objects, especially items resembling balls or toys, and to contact the Lebanese army or relevant authorities immediately.
