INTERVIEW – Israeli war damaged 22.5% of Lebanon’s agricultural land: Minister

'Israel used white phosphorus during the war and sprayed areas near the border, particularly forested land, with glyphosate herbicide,' Nizar Hani says Israel’s war on Lebanon damaged around 22.5% of the country’s agricultural land, affecting approximately 56,000 hectares directly, Lebanese Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani said. “Around 52,000 hectares of the affected land are located in the south and Nabatieh governorates, while another 4,000 hectares are in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel governorate,” Hani told Anadolu in an interview.

He said the damage caused by the Israeli war extended beyond farmland and crops to cattle, sheep and goats, as well as beekeeping. “Lebanon lost more than 30,000 beehives and around 70% of the livestock in southern Lebanon as a result of the war,” Hani said. Large areas planted with olive trees and tobacco were also damaged, he said, noting that southern Lebanon is a major agricultural production region that accounts for around 70% of the country’s citrus output and 90% of its banana production.

Those crops are consumed locally and exported to neighboring markets, including Syria, Jordan and Iraq. Clashes along the Lebanese-Israeli border began on Oct. 8, 2023, between Hezbollah and Israel against the backdrop of the Gaza war before expanding in September 2024 into a broader Israeli military campaign. A ceasefire was reached on Nov. 27, 2024, but Israeli attacks have continued across Lebanon. “Israel used white phosphorus during the war and sprayed areas near the border, particularly forested land, with glyphosate herbicide,” Hani said.

The minister said tests conducted by Lebanese authorities through the end of 2025 on soil, crops, forest areas and water produced results that remained within what he described as “under control” levels. “Winter rainfall has helped reduce some of the effects of the substances,” he said. However, the latest round of fighting, which began in March 2026, and Israel’s continued occupation of several areas prevented specialist teams from accessing some locations to conduct new tests.

“The Agriculture Ministry plans to collect and test new samples as soon as access becomes possible to assess the environmental and agricultural impact,” Hani said. The fighting widened again on March 2 against the backdrop of the US-Israeli war on Iran, developing into a second major confrontation. By mid-October, the conflict had killed 4,389 people and wounded 12,424 others. Despite a US-sponsored framework agreement reached in June between Beirut and Tel Aviv providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal and deployment of the Lebanese army, Israel has continued attacks and maintains control of areas inside Lebanese territory.

Food security The Lebanese minister said around 24,000 hectares of olive-growing land in southern Lebanon were directly affected by the Israeli war. “Another 750 hectares were taken out of agricultural production after Israeli forces bulldozed farmland and uprooted and took olive trees,” he added. Hani said his ministry has begun this year’s olive pressing season and collected around 20 samples last week from mills near areas still under Israeli occupation.

“The available results showed no risks associated with consuming olive oil and olives produced in the tested areas of southern Lebanon,” he said. Assessments remain incomplete, however, because teams are still unable to reach other areas. “Lebanon faced significant pressure on food markets when the latest fighting began in March, coinciding with the start of the local agricultural production season,” Hani said. At the time, Lebanon continued to rely on imports of some crops from neighboring countries, particularly Jordan, Syria and Egypt.

“Regional disruptions affected supply chains and increased pressure on markets during March,” he added. Conditions began to improve in April as domestic production rose and the country entered its main fruit and vegetable production season. “Lebanon can produce most of its fruit and vegetable needs during the summer, significantly reducing its dependence on imports,” Hani said. He noted that earlier assessments by the UN World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in cooperation with the Lebanese Agriculture Ministry, had warned of food security risks between April and July 2026.

Those estimates suggested around 1.2 million people living in Lebanon could face difficulties securing adequate food and would require support. “Despite the war and losses, the agricultural season continued,” Hani said. “Agriculture accounts for around 9% of Lebanon’s gross domestic product, rising to roughly 13% when related food industries are included,” he added. Syria a strategic partner Hani described Syria as a “strategic and essential partner” for Lebanon because of their shared land border and commercial ties.

“Cooperation between Beirut and Damascus includes efforts to combat cross-border diseases affecting livestock, including foot-and-mouth disease,” he said. The two countries are developing joint programs and mechanisms to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Syria is also Lebanon’s closest foreign market for agricultural products. Lebanon exports several crops, including grapes, avocados and custard apples to Syria and imports vegetables and some fruits during the winter.

Syria additionally serves as a major land corridor for Lebanese agricultural exports to Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries. “Egypt receives large quantities of Lebanese apples by sea, while most other agricultural exports travel overland through Syria,” Hani said. The minister said the reopening of the Saudi market to Lebanese agricultural products over the past year has provided important support to the sector, particularly with the resumption of overland transport to Gulf countries.

“Exports of several Lebanese agricultural products increased between 20% and 40% in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period last year,” he said, attributing the improvement partly to restored land transportation routes. Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia had faced restrictions since 2021 after millions of Captagon pills were discovered hidden in a shipment of pomegranates from Lebanon. The restrictions were later expanded to other Lebanese products.

Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on Lebanese products last June after nearly five years, allowing maritime exports to resume. The land transport route through the Masnaa border crossing with Syria was reopened in August alongside tighter export controls and anti-smuggling measures, including advanced inspection systems for trucks and goods. Agricultural agreement with Türkiye Hani called Türkiye a major supporter to Lebanon, saying a joint agricultural agreement between the two countries is nearly ready for signing.

He said he had met Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı and that Beirut had requested Ankara’s support in several areas related to agricultural development. The minister also highlighted the role of Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon Murat Lutem in strengthening bilateral relations and advancing cooperation. Agricultural cooperation between the two countries in recent years has included the provision of seedlings and agricultural supplies, as well as exchanges of expertise drawing on Türkiye’s experience in agriculture and forest management.

Cooperation has also extended to fighting forest fires, with Turkish aircraft assisting Lebanese Civil Defense and army teams in firefighting operations on several occasions. “Cooperation is reciprocal,” Hani said, noting Lebanon’s support for Türkiye following earthquakes and major forest fires in recent years. ​​​​​​​Despite extensive losses to agricultural land, livestock and crops, Hani said increased domestic production and the recovery of foreign markets had helped Lebanon’s agricultural sector absorb part of the pressure caused by the war.