Lebanon’s lost olive season: harvesting olives under drones and warplanes
Summary
Olive farmers in southern Lebanon face restricted access, damaged land and security risks during this year’s harvest. Farmers report working under drones and nearby airstrikes, while some crops may go unpicked because they have only a short time to reach their groves.Key Facts
- Khaled Farhat said his grove of about 200 olive trees is near Majdel Selm, roughly a 20-minute drive from the Israeli border.
- Farhat said he needed to seek permission through his municipality and the Lebanese Army to reach his land.
- He said he was given a two-week window to work in the grove and feared he would not finish harvesting in time.
- Farmers and landowners reported unexploded ordnance, including cluster-bomb remnants, in southern olive groves.
- Lebanon’s Environment Minister Tamara Elzein said more than 16,000 hectares of land had been burned since Israel began bombing Lebanon in October 2023.
- The article said Israel continued to occupy nearly 630 square kilometers of southern Lebanon, including farmland and villages.
- The article reported that at least two people were killed in olive groves in south Lebanon in early October.
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