Lebanon files complaints against 'Israel' for agricultural damage

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen
24 Dec 2024 11:15

The Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture has established a mechanism for assessing Israeli strikes and gathering information from farmers.

Listen

A shell explodes over a house in al-Bustan, a Lebanese village along the border with occupied Palestine, on October 15, 2023 (AP)

Lebanon has filed legal complaints against "Israel" through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the United Nations, Lebanese caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, announced.

He also announced plans to submit a new complaint once the final field survey is completed, with samples collected by Lebanese organizations, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Lebanese University, and certified laboratories.

This survey aims to determine the extent of damage and pollution caused by the Israeli military's use of white phosphorus in southern Lebanon, which has led to the desertification of affected fields, Hajj Hassan explained.

The minister indicated that "Israel" has employed white phosphorus and cluster bombs since the first day of its aggression against Lebanon—acts considered crimes under international law.

He confirmed that the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture has established a mechanism for assessing Israeli strikes and gathering information from farmers.

The surveys have so far covered over 40,000 farmers, and field data is currently being collected by 400 staff members and technical personnel from the Ministry, Hajj Hassan highlighted.

The plan aims to compile all relevant data, estimate damages, and provide precise figures for losses resulting from direct and indirect Israeli attacks on the agricultural sector, including plant, forestry, and livestock components, as well as agricultural infrastructure, the minister noted.

He added that this effort seeks to produce official figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Lebanese government, presenting a clear picture to international organizations and donor agencies that support Lebanon’s agricultural sector.

In recent days, the Israeli occupation forces have continued to violate the ceasefire agreement reached with Lebanon, targeting homes and bulldozing citrus orchards in the town of Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese Army ready to fulfill its duties in South: Mikati

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati emphasized on Monday that "the Lebanese Army has never shirked its duties," noting that "Lebanon is facing a difficult test, and the army will prove its ability to carry out all the tasks required of it."

In a speech delivered at the army barracks in Marjayoun during his southern tour today, Mikati stated, "We will hold a meeting with the committee overseeing the ceasefire, and we have many tasks ahead, the most important being the enemy’s withdrawal from all the territories it infiltrated during its recent aggression. At that point, the army will carry out its full duties."

He added, "The army has always proven that it represents the unity of this country and fulfills its duties. All Lebanese are with the army and support it."

In this context, MP Ali Fayyad, from the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc in the Lebanese Parliament, confirmed earlier to Al Mayadeen that the current situation calls for caution, and that the Resistance will not be drawn into a military confrontation over Israeli violations and encroachments.

Its priority is the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese land, without providing any excuse for exceeding the 60-day deadline.