Lebanon: ’Israel’s’ ’Ecocide’ Campaign Ongoing Since 2023

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

Lebanon’s environment minister said the "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF]committed “an act of ecocide” in the foreword to a report documenting damage to the country’s natural resources during the 2023–2024 invasion.

The IOF 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 recognized 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, "Israeli" strikes caused extensive environmental and agricultural damage in Lebanon, including 5,000 hectares of forest loss, destruction of $118 million in agricultural assets, and $586 million in lost production.

The attacks also devastated orchards and plantations, contaminated soil with high phosphorus levels—especially in the South and Bekaa—and triggered widespread air pollution releasing toxic compounds far beyond strike zones.

"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, the IOF 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 IOF.

“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 and $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.