Lebanon’s acting prime minister, Najib Mikati has stated that the Israeli airstrikes have transformed southern Lebanon into a “ruined agricultural region”.
The Israeli airstrikes have destroyed tens of thousands of olive trees and farmland in southern Lebanon, impacting herders and farmers who are already struggling due to a severe economic crisis.
“Eight hundred hectares have been completely damaged, 340,000 heads of livestock have died, and about 75% of farmers have lost their final source of income,” Lebanon’s national news agency quoted Mikati as saying on Friday.
“This problem will extend to the coming years.”
Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan raised concerns recently, stating that the Israeli airstrikes have been hindering farmers in villages and towns near the border from accessing their fields, leading to a significant impact on Lebanon’s agricultural production, with up to 30% being affected.
The Israeli regime has repeatedly attacked southern Lebanon since October 7, when it launched a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed at least 33,037 Palestinians, most of them women and children, so far. Another 75,668 individuals have also been injured in the onslaught.
In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched near-daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions.
Hezbollah has already fought off two Israeli wars against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006. The resistance forced the regime to retreat in both conflicts.
On Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces claimed that it carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon’s Yaroun, Aynata, and Maroun al-Ras.
