Israeli Attacks Continue, Lebanese Need Food Aid

The impact of the Israeli attack on Tebnine, southern Lebanon; / DOK UNICEF

JAKARTA - As many as 18 to 23 percent of Lebanese people currently need food assistance due to the impact of the war with Israel and the damage that occurred to the country's agricultural sector.

"Between 18 and 23 percent of the Lebanese population currently needs food assistance," Lebanon's Minister of Agriculture, Nizar Hani, told RIA Novosti, as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 3.

He explained that the war had a direct and indirect impact on about 56,000 hectares of land, equivalent to about a quarter of Lebanon's territory. In addition, direct damage also occurred in 22.5 percent of the country's agricultural sector.

According to Hani, the most severe conditions occurred in southern Lebanon, where 78 percent of farmers were forced to leave their farmland due to the fighting.

"This has caused the cessation of agricultural production and has a negative impact on the local and national economies, supply chains, prices, and market volumes, especially for citrus fruits," he said.

The Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, continued Hani, has prepared a long-term agricultural development program for the period 2026-2036. The program includes the implementation of modern technology and the digitalization of the agricultural sector.

In particular, Lebanon is currently implementing a cooperation program with China to utilize drones in monitoring plant diseases, monitoring forest conditions, and applying crop protection products more precisely.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an attack on what he called a Hezbollah target on the outskirts of Beirut.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon was also a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Later that day, after holding talks with Netanyahu and Hezbollah officials, US President Donald Trump announced that the Lebanese and Israeli groups had agreed to a ceasefire.

However, on Tuesday, the Israeli military reportedly continued its attacks on a number of cities in southern Lebanon.