Heavy Damage: How ‘Israel’ Is Targeting Lebanon’s Agriculture in the South

The Israeli Occupation’s relentless bombardment of southern Lebanon has caused unprecedented damage to the country’s agricultural sector. Over nearly two years, Israeli forces carried out a systematic campaign targeting farmlands, the heart of Lebanon’s food production.

Targeting the Land

Villages and towns in the south, where much of Lebanon’s farming takes place, bore the brunt. Israeli strikes scorched fields with white phosphorus and incendiary bombs, killing thousands of livestock and devastating crops.

According to a joint report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture, and the National Council for Scientific Research, the sector has suffered over $700 million in damage and losses from October 2023 to the November 2024 ceasefire.

The report breaks this down into $118 million in direct damage and $586 million in economic losses. Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley were hardest hit, affecting crops, livestock, forests, fisheries, and aquaculture.

Throughout the aggression on Lebanon, Israeli drones and warplanes kept agricultural areas under constant surveillance, putting farmers at risk and disrupting their ability to work the land.

The strikes displaced more than a million people, many of them farmers who could no longer tend to or harvest their crops due to bombardment and Israeli ground incursions. With no access to resources and little government support, many were forced to abandon farming altogether.

The report says the sector now needs $263 million for recovery, with $95 million urgently required for the 2025–2026 period. It stresses the need for immediate support to resume farming, livestock rearing, and fishing, and to restore agricultural infrastructure and assets.

Olive trees, one of Lebanon’s most vital crops, were hit especially hard. Fires destroyed 814 hectares of olive groves, causing $12 million in damage and $237 million in losses.

Without swift intervention, Lebanon’s farming backbone could collapse under the weight of war.

Food Security Under Fire

The Israeli Occupation’s assault on Lebanon has not only devastated land and livestock, but it has also struck at the heart of the country’s food security.

In March 2024, Lebanon’s former government estimated preliminary losses to the agricultural sector at a staggering $2.5 billion. The damage spans staple crops including bananas, avocados, citrus fruits, potatoes, and grains like wheat and barley. Livestock losses alone accounted for $28 million, with $19 million in direct damage.

Poultry farms and beekeeping operations also suffered, while over 5,000 hectares of pine forests were impacted by bombardments. The Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, two critical agricultural hubs, were among the hardest hit. Bekaa alone accounts for 42% of all cultivated land in Lebanon and is considered the country’s primary grain reservoir. It also hosts 62% of industrial crop land and 57% of grain-producing areas, making it a cornerstone of national food security, according to a Grand Lebanon’s report published in November 2024.

In a joint statement in January 2025, Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture, the UN’s FAO, and the World Food Programme warned that one-third of the population now faces acute food insecurity, largely as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression.

The war’s impact has paralyzed Lebanon’s economy and crippled its farming sector, stalling any hope of quick recovery. For a country already drowning in debt and mired in economic crisis since 2019, the Israeli assault has only deepened the wound.

Agriculture in southern Lebanon contributes nearly 30% of the region’s GDP. Nationally, it accounts for about 9% of GDP, 3–5% of gross national income, and 4.1% of total employment, according to former Agriculture Minister Abbas al-Haj Hassan.

“Farming is a lifeline, both for employment and income in rural communities. Agriculture and the agro-food industries contribute up to 80% of local economies in some areas,” he said at a donor conference in Beirut in June 2024. Lebanon’s food chain is now a battleground, and the fight to restore it is far from over.

Empty Harvests

The Israeli assault has left Lebanon’s harvest seasons hollow, not only destroying crops but also dismantling the country’s ability to export them.

Exports of Lebanese produce to Gulf countries, traditionally the main outlet for agricultural goods, have dropped by more than 50%, according to Shadi Kaadan, a senior executive at a local fruit export company, speaking in November 2024. This collapse in foreign demand has led to a glut in the local market, particularly in relatively safe areas, causing a sharp drop in fruit prices.

In the southern region of Nabatieh, where the mild climate supports avocado, citrus, cherimoya, and banana farming, the toll has been severe. Hani Saad, a prominent local farmer, told Agence France-Presse that 32 workers used to help him manage his land, 28 have since fled because of the Israeli war.

“Before the war, I used to earn around $5,000 a day from fruit sales. Now, I barely make $300 a day from what little I can harvest,” Saad said, offering a grim snapshot of the sector’s collapse.

Meanwhile, the broader humanitarian toll continues to mount. According to Lebanese media, nearly 6,000 people have been killed in the Israeli strikes, with rescue operations still ongoing.

The World Bank, in a March 2025 estimate, pegged the cost of Lebanon’s reconstruction and recovery at $11 billion, including $1 billion earmarked for heavily damaged infrastructure.

Farmers are urging the government to prioritize agriculture in compensation and recovery plans, arguing that, compared to other sectors, it offers a high return on investment with relatively low cost.

Lebanon’s Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani emphasized this point in televised remarks in February 2025: “The damage to agriculture and infrastructure because of the Israeli aggression is extensive, and addressing it is a top priority.”

Hani also outlined efforts to rebuild regional trade ties and open new markets: “Lebanon is ready to cooperate with partners like Egypt, Iraq, and Gulf countries. Our farmers are also exploring exports to more distant destinations like Canada and Ecuador.”

He added that the ministry is in talks with India to provide comprehensive agricultural training for Lebanese farmers and stressed the urgency of modernizing Lebanon’s outdated agricultural laws in parliament to revitalize the sector.

The message from Lebanon’s farming community is clear: without urgent action, the fields may remain empty—and so might the tables.