Lebanese Military Source Claims Israel Used White Phosphorus in Country’s South
An Israeli air force F-15 figher jet. File photo
BEIRUT (Sputnik) — The Israeli army used white phosphorus munitions in southern Lebanon, leading to large fires and damage to agricultural and forest lands, a Lebanese military field source told Sputnik on Wednesday. «On Wednesday, the Israeli army shelled the outskirts of the Bani Hayyan settlement, the al-Dabsha area and vast territories of the Nabatieh district with white phosphorus, which led to large fires and damaged agricultural lands and forests,» the source said. This is not the first time Israel has used such munitions, which also affect the country’s agricultural sector. Head of the Association of Farmers of Southern Lebanon Muhammad al-Husseini told Sputnik that 57,000 hectares of land (around 140,000 acres, or about 22% of all agricultural areas in southern Lebanon) have been completely destroyed, and about 19,000 hectares need restoration. Wells, water supply and irrigation systems and other agricultural facilities have also been damaged. Calculations by the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research as of June 17, 2026, also show that losses in the agricultural sector in the south of the country have exceeded $572 million, he said. Of this, about $530 million losses were caused by a halt in agricultural operations, and another $42 million is due to damage to agricultural infrastructure, he added.
WorldIsrael Hits Lebanon Despite Ceasefire, Claims Hezbollah Violations29 June, 09:08 GMT
