Israel deliberately starting wildfires in southern Lebanon, firefighters say

Lebanese Firefighters Accuse Israeli Forces of Deliberate Wildfire Campaign

Wanderstayfinder.com – Emergency responders and local communities in southern Lebanon have leveled serious allegations against the Israeli military, claiming that deliberate arson campaigns are devastating forested regions across the border. As summer progresses, extensive woodland areas continue to succumb to flames that appear to be intentionally ignited through a combination of aerial munitions and drone operations.

Environmental organizations have characterized these recent incidents as part of a sustained strategy by Israel to target Lebanon’s ecological resources. The pattern of destruction extends beyond isolated incidents, suggesting a coordinated approach to landscape alteration that threatens both biodiversity and local livelihoods.

Escalating Incidents Since Ceasefire

On Tuesday, Israeli forces deployed illumination flares into a wooded zone near Khiam, igniting multiple fires across the terrain. Hussein Fakih, who leads civil defence operations in the Nabatieh region, recounted how firefighters attempting to contain the flames were forced to retreat when a drone passed dangerously close to their position.

“Most of our missions are now related to fires,” Fakih stated. “There are enormous areas of woodland that have burned, I don’t have the exact figures, but in the areas close to the [frontline], around 30-40% of the land has been affected by fires.”

The timeline of these incidents aligns closely with the ceasefire agreement reached on June 17, which largely halted hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. Despite the formal cessation of major combat operations, Fakih noted that incendiary devices have been deployed daily since that date.

“They started doing this right after the ceasefire, and there have been incendiary bombs every day,” Fakih explained. “Small drones come out and drop incendiary materials, [white] phosphorus shells are fired at the woodlands, in addition to illumination flares that they drop during the daytime so the vegetation catches fire.”

Geographic Spread of Destruction

Video evidence and firsthand accounts from emergency personnel document the expanding scope of the fire campaign. Olive groves and agricultural territories across southern Lebanon have been particularly vulnerable to these deliberate ignitions over the nearly two months following the ceasefire agreement.

Friday saw particularly severe damage in two heavily forested zones. Israeli munitions triggered extensive wildfires in Kfarchouba, situated near the border crossing, and in the region between Jezzine and the western Bekaa valley. Samir Hardan, who oversees the civil defence station in that area, documented a sequence of events that began with a drone dropping a munition into woodland near Kfarchouba on Friday afternoon.

After firefighters successfully contained that initial blaze through the night and into Saturday, a second drone ignited another fire on Sunday, demonstrating the persistent nature of the aerial operations. The civil defence personnel must coordinate all movements with the Lebanese army, which channels their requests through a deconfliction mechanism that includes Israeli military representatives. Despite this coordination, firefighters received authorization to operate in only two locations while other areas continued to burn unchecked.

Ecological and Human Consequences

Hisham Younes, founder of Green Southerners, a Lebanese conservation organization, emphasized the significance of the affected ecosystems. These ancient woodlands, dominated by productive stone pine trees alongside oak species, serve critical environmental functions beyond their immediate boundaries.

“These are long-established woodlands, dominated by productive stone pine alongside oak. They perform critical functions. The wider area is also an important passage and resting ground for migratory birds,” Younes stated.

Younes characterized the Israeli operations as ecocide, defining it not as isolated incidents but as a cumulative pattern of destruction. This systematic degradation progressively undermines ecosystems’ capacity to function, regenerate, and sustain life. When these cascading environmental effects also compromise local livelihoods and prevent communities from returning to their ancestral lands, Younes argues that environmental destruction becomes inseparable from broader territorial transformation.

Historical Context and Broader Implications

Since Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on October 8, 2023, in solidarity with the Hamas-led attack the previous day, Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted Lebanon’s forested regions. The Israeli military has maintained that these wooded areas provide cover for Hezbollah fighters and their underground tunnel networks.

Ecologists and human rights organizations have warned that fires and other forms of widespread environmental destruction will produce far-reaching consequences for civilian populations. The Israeli military has responded to questions about recent wildfire incidents by stating that operations are “conducted while taking precautionary measures to mitigate harm to civilians and the environment.”

These allegations are not unprecedented. During the summer of 2024, Israeli troops employed trebuchets—medieval catapults—to launch flaming debris across the border wall into Lebanon. The Lebanese army subsequently published photographs showing Israeli drones equipped with hoses that sprayed forests with flammable materials, accelerating fire spread.

Health and environmental specialists raised concerns in February when Israeli aircraft dropped herbicides linked to cancer on agricultural lands in southern Lebanon. These chemical applications, combined with the deliberate fire campaigns, represent a multi-faceted approach to landscape modification that extends beyond immediate military objectives.

The cumulative impact of these operations threatens to fundamentally alter southern Lebanon’s ecological character, affecting everything from bird migration patterns to the economic viability of communities dependent on forest resources and agricultural production. As firefighters continue their dangerous work under increasingly hostile conditions, the question of whether these fires represent collateral damage or deliberate strategy remains central to understanding the broader conflict dynamics in the region.