Lebanon: Over 16,000 hectares of land burned due to Israeli occupation incursions
Beirut - 21 - 9 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Environment Minister Tamara Zein confirmed on Monday that more than 16,000 hectares of agricultural land, orchards, and forests in Lebanon have been burned since October 2023 through August 2026 as a result of Israeli occupation incursions, while more than 2,000 hectares have been exposed to the herbicide (glyphosate).
Zein stated in a statement that "these figures do not reflect the full extent of the environmental damage, which also includes plowing, uprooting, destruction of vegetation cover, and impacts on soil, natural habitats, and the agricultural sector."
She added that "the renewed use of phosphorus shells by the Israeli occupation army in southern Lebanon constitutes a continuation of the path of environmental genocide being inflicted on the south," noting that the use of such weapons constitutes a violation of the rules governing the use of weapons during armed conflicts.
Zein pointed out that the phosphorus bombardment adds to the widespread fires that have affected agricultural land, orchards, and forests, as well as to plowing and uprooting operations that "destroyed areas of vegetation cover and altered land characteristics."
She affirmed that the Lebanese Ministry of Environment will continue to document environmental damages, assess their impacts, consolidate the related scientific and legal data, and follow up on the responsibilities arising from the destruction of Lebanon's natural resources, in cooperation with the relevant scientific and national institutions.
In the context of Israeli occupation forces' incursions in the south, the Lebanese National News Agency reported that occupation forces dropped a number of phosphorus bombs on (Wadi al-Suluki) and set fire to homes in the town of (Zoutar al-Sharqia).
The National News Agency indicated that occupation warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting the towns of (Zoutar al-Sharqia, Kafr Tibnit, and Baraishit).
The occupation army continued its blasting operations in the towns of (al-Mansouri, Deir Surian, and Ainatha).
Last week, the Lebanese Environment Minister had confirmed that "the massive underground explosions carried out by the Israeli occupation army in the south could, under certain geological conditions, particularly when occurring near existing faults, trigger or reactivate these faults, thereby increasing the risks of seismic activity."
(End) A.I.B. / M.M.J.
