Lebanon lodged a formal accusation against Israel on Wednesday, alleging the deliberate burning of over 60,000 olive trees in southern Lebanon through a series of airstrikes since October of the previous year.
Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan made the claims during a meeting at the UN headquarters in Beirut, asserting that Israel employed internationally banned white phosphorus bombs in daily bombardments of southern Lebanon.
Minister Hajj Hassan highlighted the extensive impact of these airstrikes, citing over 657 fires and damage to more than 6,000 dunams (6 square kilometers) of forests and agricultural lands.
He emphasized the devastating toll on olive trees, noting that “over 2,000 dunams (2 square kilometers) and more than 60,000 mature olive trees were completely burned.”
The escalating tension along the Lebanon-Israel border has seen intermittent exchanges of weapons fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, marking the deadliest clashes since their full-scale war in 2006.
The heightened border situation coincides with an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023.
The clashes have resulted in a significant human toll, with an estimated 300 people killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since October. According to Israeli figures, nearly 20 Israelis have also lost their lives.
The region remains in a precarious state as both sides grapple with the consequences of the ongoing conflict.
