BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- Firefighters and residents in southern Lebanon say the Israeli military has causing widespread wildfires in the region, with environmental groups warning that repeated fires have damaged forests, olive groves and agricultural land, according to a report by The Guardian.
The report said firefighters in southern Lebanon had responded to a growing number of fires since a June ceasefire that largely ended fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, with local officials stating that Israeli munitions, drones and flares have sparked several blazes.
Hussein Fakih, head of civil defense in Lebanon’s Nabatieh region, told The Guardian that firefighting missions had increasingly focused on wildfires.
“Most of our missions are now related to fires,” Fakih said, adding that large areas of woodland had been affected, with some frontline areas seeing an estimated 30% to 40% of land impacted.
According to the report, Fakih said Israeli forces have used incendiary materials, white phosphorus shells and illumination flares in areas of southern Lebanon.
The report cited several incidents in which firefighters said fires were started after Israeli drone activity. In one case, a drone strike near firefighters attempting to extinguish a blaze forced emergency teams to withdraw, according to local civil defense officials.
Environmental groups said the fires represented a broader pattern of environmental damage. Hisham Younes, founder of Green Southerners, a Lebanese conservation organization, described the destruction as “ecocide,” stating that repeated attacks are damaging ecosystems and threatening the ability of communities to return to their lands.
“These are long-established woodlands, dominated by productive stone pine alongside oak,” Younes told The Guardian, adding that the area is also an important route for migratory birds.
Residents of southern Lebanon also described the destruction of olive and fruit groves. Hafez Ghasham, mayor of Yaroun, said Israeli forces have bulldozed parts of the village before fires spread through areas containing old olive trees inherited from previous generations.
“They are trying to make the land uninhabitable,” Ghasham said, according to The Guardian. “They are erasing our entire history, our entire culture, all our memories.”
The report noted that reports of environmental damage are not new. It cited previous accounts involving the use of incendiary devices, fires near the border area and reports regarding herbicide spraying.