{"id":637781,"date":"2026-04-29T05:28:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T05:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/637781\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T05:28:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T05:28:16","slug":"lebanon-accuses-israel-of-committing-ecocide-in-country-since-2023-lebanon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/637781\/","title":{"rendered":"Lebanon accuses Israel of committing \u2018ecocide\u2019 in country since 2023 | Lebanon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lebanon\u2019s minister for the environment has accused Israel\u2019s military of committing \u201can act of ecocide\u201d in the foreword to a report detailing the harm done to the country\u2019s natural resources<\/a> during the invasion of 2023 to 2024.<\/p>\n

Israeli military aggression \u201creshaped both the physical and ecological landscape\u201d of southern Lebanon<\/a>, according to the report, which does not consider the impacts of Israel\u2019s latest barrage of attacks this spring.<\/p>\n

Published amid a patchy ceasefire<\/a>, as refugees from Israel\u2019s latest invasion return to shattered homes and communities, the 106-page report outlines how southern Lebanon has suffered profound ecological disruption and the loss of essential ecosystem services.<\/p>\n

In her foreword, Tamara el Zein said: \u201cThe scale and intentionality of the damage to forests, agricultural lands, marine ecosystems, water resources, and atmospheric quality constitute what must be recognised as an act of ecocide, with consequences that extend far beyond immediate destruction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe environmental damage we face is not simply ecological \u2013 it is a matter of public health, food security, livelihoods, social fabric, and national resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the report, attacks by Israeli forces:<\/p>\n

Damaged 5,000 hectares (12,350 acres) of forest cover, including broadleaf, pine and stone pine stands, destroying habitats, disregulating local climates and causing soil erosion.<\/p>\n

Destroyed $118m (\u00a387m) of physical agriculture assets, including crops, livestock facilities, forestry resources, fisheries and aquaculture infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Caused further losses of $586m (\u00a3433m) in lost agricultural production as a result of disrupted harvests and reduced yields.<\/p>\n

Destroyed 2,154 hectares (5,320 acres) of orchards, including 814 hectares of olive groves and 637 hectares of citrus plantations, and caused extensive damage to banana plantations.<\/p>\n

Contaminated soils with phosphorus concentrations up to 1,858 parts a million, with particular contamination hotspots in south Lebanon and Bekaa valley in the east.<\/p>\n

Caused widespread air pollution episodes extending well beyond immediate strike zones and releasing particulates; sulphur and nitrogen oxides; and toxic compounds such as dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s critics argue that it is currently repeating \u201cthe Gaza playbook\u201d<\/a> in southern Lebanon by issuing the civilian population with expulsion orders<\/a>, targeting hospitals<\/a> and medical staff<\/a>, demolishing entire villages<\/a>, destroying water infrastructure<\/a> and killing media workers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Within months of beginning its war on Gaza in 2023, Israel\u2019s forces had destroyed about 38-48% of tree cover and farmland<\/a>, with olive groves and farms reduced to packed earth and groundwater contaminated by munitions and toxins, and air polluted by smoke and particulate matter.<\/p>\n

According to the new report, prepared by Lebanon\u2019s National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS-L) and covering the period between October 2023 and December 2024, southern Lebanon was similarly treated by the Israeli military.<\/p>\n

An IDF tank on the border between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024. Photograph: Jim Hollander\/UPI\/Rex\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

\u201cThe environmental footprint of the war is evident in the destruction of forests and woodlands, many of which served as biodiversity hotspots and carbon sinks, and in the burning of agricultural lands, including high-value orchards and staple crop fields, undermining both livelihoods and national food security,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n

In total, it estimates the monetary cost to the country amounts to an estimated $25bn ($18bn), comprising $6.8bn in physical damages, $7.2bn in economic losses ands $11bn in recovery and reconstruction needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cLebanon cannot carry this burden alone,\u201d El Zein said. \u201cWe call for international solidarity and support to share the responsibility of environmental recovery. The scale of the damage and the costs of restoration demand collective action and long-term partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doug Weir, the director of the Conflict and Environment Observatory, which studies the environmental impact of war, said: \u201cThe report\u2019s focus on building back better, and on strengthening national environmental monitoring capacities, are welcome recognition of two critical priorities for any conflict-affected state.<\/p>\n

\u201cSadly, elements of the report\u2019s findings are already out of date due to the devastation wrought by Israel since the study period, particularly in the area it is illegally occupying south of the Litani River,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said: \u201cThe IDF is aware of the potential environmental impacts of its operations in the region. The IDF operates to protect the citizens of Israel and to ensure the security and safety of the surrounding areas. All IDF actions are carried out with precautions taken to minimise harm to civilians and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lebanon\u2019s minister for the environment has accused Israel\u2019s military of committing \u201can act of ecocide\u201d in the foreword…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":637782,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[64,63,75,128],"class_list":["post-637781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-environment","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=637781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/637782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=637781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=637781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=637781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}