The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said last Thursday that the Israeli military’s spraying of chemical substances over large agricultural areas in southern Lebanon and Syria could constitute a “war crime.”
Lebanon and Syria have accused Israel of spraying the herbicide glyphosate over shared border areas. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the incident as a “crime against the environment.”
Following soil and crop sampling conducted after the most recent spraying operation, Lebanon’s Ministries of Agriculture and Environment reported that some samples showed glyphosate concentrations 20 to 30 times higher than average in the affected areas.
In a joint statement, the two ministries warned of potential damage to agricultural production and long-term soil fertility.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Monday that Israel had informed it in advance of plans to spray a “non-toxic chemical substance” near the border and advised personnel to take precautionary measures.
