According to the report, the Israeli army has carried out chemical spraying operations across farmland and vegetated areas in southern Lebanon, resulting in the complete destruction of plant cover in those areas.
Israeli crop-dusting aircraft have been continuously spraying various chemicals over border regions deep inside Lebanese territory to prevent vegetation from growing.
The report adds that these actions have even angered UN peacekeeping forces, who have described the operations as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Despite this, informed sources within the Israeli army told the media outlet that the destruction of vegetation in southern Lebanon will continue.
Meanwhile, the report states that UNIFIL peacekeeping forces have strongly condemned the Israeli army’s criminal actions in southern Lebanon.
According to the report, the spraying took place in areas close to the Blue Line, and the Israeli army ordered UN peacekeepers to leave the area and take shelter during the operation.
UNIFIL said: “Following notification by the Israeli army, more than 12 operations were canceled. Peacekeepers were unable to carry out their regular activities along nearly one third of the Blue Line and only resumed normal operations after nine hours. The Lebanese Armed Forces assisted UNIFIL in collecting samples for toxicology testing.”
In its statement, the international force said that this activity is unacceptable and inconsistent with Resolution 1701. “The deliberate and planned actions of the Israeli army not only limited the ability of peacekeepers to carry out their mandate, but also endangered their health and the safety of civilians,” it said.
“Concerns were also raised about the impact of this unknown chemical substance on local agricultural land and how this could affect, in the long term, the return of civilians to their homes and their livelihoods,” UNIFIL added in its condemnation.
“The overflights of Israeli military aircraft over Lebanon are violations of Resolution 1701, and any activity that endangers peacekeepers and civilians is of serious concern. We once again call on the Israeli army to cease all such activities and to cooperate with peacekeepers in support of the stability we are all seeking to achieve,” UNIFIL concluded.