Lebanon’s Minister of Agriculture, Abbas al-Hajj Hassan, has reported that approximately 800 hectares of agricultural land in the southern part of the country have been destroyed as a result of Israeli strikes. He made this statement to RIA Novosti.
Al-Hajj Hassan also claims that more than 200 hectares of farmland, including over 50,000 olive trees with some dating back 300 years, have been burned as a result of the attacks. Additionally, over a thousand livestock, including sheep, goats, and cows, have been affected by the shelling.
According to him, the damage continues to accumulate on a daily basis.
He added that it is currently impossible to accurately assess the extent of the damage as Israeli shelling continues.
Previously, the Lebanese Shiite movement, Hezbollah, rejected the US plan to de-escalate tensions along the border with Israel, which involves the withdrawal of armed forces from the border.
On January 17, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, stated that the likelihood of war against Hezbollah has significantly increased.
Earlier, the UN Secretary-General acknowledged that Lebanon could turn into “another Gaza” in the event of escalation.