Danish Abdullah

Israeli attacks have damaged over 22 percent of Lebanon's agricultural land —— According to an interview given to Anadolu Agency by Lebanese Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani, Israeli attacks have directly affected approximately 56,000 hectares of farmland, representing 22.5 percent of Lebanon’s total agricultural land. The minister revealed that 52,000 hectares of the damaged land lie across the south, while an additional 4,000 hectares were devastated in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel governorate. Beyond crop destruction, Hani reported catastrophic impacts on livestock, noting that the country lost over 30,000 beehives and roughly 70 percent of its livestock across southern Lebanon due to persistent shelling and bombings. Hani condemned Tel Aviv's deliberate use of banned chemical agents, confirming that "Israel used white phosphorus during the war and sprayed areas near the border, particularly forested land, with glyphosate herbicide." The minister explained that while winter rainfall initially reduced chemical concentration levels in soil and water, renewed Israeli bombardments and ongoing ground occupation have blocked specialized Ministry teams from accessing border zone farmlands to conduct necessary environmental hazard assessments and soil testing. The destruction of 24,000 hectares of olive groves and the bulldozing of farmland have further crippled southern production, which historically accounts for 70 percent of Lebanon's citrus output and 90 percent of its banana crops. Despite severe supply chain shocks, Hani stressed that agricultural production continues to account for 9 percent of Lebanon's GDP—rising to 13 percent with food processing industries included—aided by strong trade ties with regional partners.