Lebanon accuses Israel of committing ‘ecocide’ in country since 2023

Original article by Damien Gayle

Lebanon’s minister for the environment has accused Israel’s military of committing “an act of ecocide” in the foreword to a report detailing the harm done to the country’s natural resources during the invasion of 2023 to 2024.

Israeli military aggression “reshaped both the physical and ecological landscape” of southern Lebanon, according to the report, which does not consider the impacts of Israel’s latest barrage of attacks this spring.

Published amid a patchy ceasefire, as refugees from Israel’s 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.

In her foreword, Tamara el Zein said: “The 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.

“The environmental damage we face is not simply ecological – it is a matter of public health, food security, livelihoods, social fabric, and national resilience.”

According to the report, attacks by Israeli forces:

• 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.

• Destroyed $118m (£87m) of physical agriculture assets, including crops, livestock facilities, forestry resources, fisheries and aquaculture infrastructure.

• Caused further losses of $586m (£433m) in lost agricultural production as a result of disrupted harvests and reduced yields.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Israel’s critics argue that it is currently repeating “the Gaza playbook” in southern Lebanon by issuing the civilian population with expulsion orders, targeting hospitals and medical staff, demolishing entire villages, destroying water infrastructure and killing media workers.

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

According to the new report, prepared by Lebanon’s 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.

“The 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,” the report states.

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.

“Lebanon cannot carry this burden alone,” El Zein said. “We 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.”

Doug Weir, the director of the Conflict and Environment Observatory, which studies the environmental impact of war, said: “The report’s focus on building back better, and on strengthening national environmental monitoring capacities, are welcome recognition of two critical priorities for any conflict-affected state.

“Sadly, elements of the report’s 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,” he added.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said: “The 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.”