Israel uses white phosphorus chemical munitions to target farms inside Lebanon.

Lebanese Crops Ruined by White Phosphorus,
Unexploded Bombs Launched by Israel
William Christou / The New Arab

SOUTH LEBANON (November 27, 2023) — Farmers returning to Lebanon’s south amid a lull in fighting found crops contaminated by White Phosphorus and fields littered with unexploded munitions.

Farmers returning to their lands in Lebanon’s south this weekend, amid an unofficial truce between Hezbollah and Israel, have found their crops ravaged by white phosphorus and their work hindered by unexploded munitions.

Hezbollah and Israel did not sign a ceasefire agreement but have mostly stuck to the four-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas — producing a pause in the cross-border fighting that has taken place since 8 October.

Israel has heavily shelled territory across the Lebanese-Israeli border, including with white phosphorus, a chemical munition that produces fires and smoke that is toxic to plants and animals.

Uday Abu Sari, a farmer in the border town of Dahayrah, said that the entirety of his crops will have to be thrown out this year, as his land was directly hit by the chemical.

“Look at this cabbage, it’s unusable … How can I sell these crops? If someone knows they come from here, they of course won’t want them,” Abu Sari told The New Arab on Sunday, showing discolored lettuce and cabbage which were exposed to white phosphorus.

Abu Sari’s farm also sustained damage to the irrigation network, producing a total loss of $5,000 this season — a crippling amount for the small-scale farmer. White Phosphorus-soaked felt littered his farm, igniting when disturbed by Abu Sari despite forty days having passed since they were launched by Israel.

Israel promised to stop using white phosphorus munitions — in 2012.

The long-term effects of white phosphorus on soil and crops are yet unknown, and Lebanese authorities are still grappling with how to issue guidelines for farmers in affected areas.

Samples of soil affected by white phosphorus have been sent for lab testing to see if they need treating before next season’s crops are planted.

Olive farmers, who have been the most affected by the chemical munition, have been instructed to vigorously wash their olives in water to remove all residue of white phosphorus and its toxic smoke.

Abu Sari’s farm also sustained damage to the irrigation network, producing a total loss of $5,000 this season — a crippling amount for the small-scale farmer. White Phosphorus-soaked felt littered his farm, igniting when disturbed by Abu Sari despite forty days having passed since they were launched by Israel.

The long-term effects of white phosphorus on soil and crops are yet unknown, and Lebanese authorities are still grappling with how to issue guidelines for farmers in affected areas.

Samples of soil affected by white phosphorus have been sent for lab testing to see if they need treating before next season’s crops are planted.

Monsanto’s white phosphorus shells replace napalm as a weapon.

Olive farmers, who have been the most affected by the chemical munition, have been instructed to vigorously wash their olives in water to remove all residue of white phosphorus and its toxic smoke.

“Olives, all fruits on the trees, will be poisonous unless well washed. Those who buy from the market should also take some precautions at home, like using vinegar to clean the vegetables,” Mohammed Husseini, the head of the southern Lebanon farmers’ union, told TNA.

White phosphorus residue could also pose a hazard to farmers, who could accidentally re-ignite remnants of the munition and inhale the resulting smoke. Another danger is touching residue and absorbing the chemical through their skin.

Some farmers have also been prevented from accessing their fields due to unexploded munitions, having to wait for the Lebanese Army to defuse and remove them.

A farmer in the border town of Al-Wazani told TNA that upon returning to their farm, workers found an unexploded tank shell. They had to stop their work until the Lebanese army removed the munition.

While the tank shell in Al-Wazani was easily spotted, there are fears that other munitions could be buried under brush or soil and could pose a danger to farmers who stumble across them.

Husseini said that until today, bombs from cluster munitions dropped by Israel are found by farmers in southern Lebanon and remain active more than 17 years later.

It is unclear if the unofficial truce between Hezbollah and Israel will last once the Israel-Hamas ceasefire ends on Tuesday morning.

If hostilities resume, farmers in border areas will once again be unable to access their crops.

Related
“Lebanese Border Town Abandoned after Israeli White Phosphorus Attack,” The New Arab.