Lebanon accuses Israel of burning forest, farmland in south

AI Summary

Lebanese officials accuse the Israeli military of intentionally setting fires that have destroyed forests and farmland in southern Lebanon. These fires occur amid extreme heat waves affecting the region, causing significant agricultural and environmental damage near Israeli-controlled areas.

As extreme heat fuels wildfires worldwide this summer, Lebanese officials and residents have accused Israel's military of systematically sparking blazes that have burnt swathes of forest and farmland in the country's south. In the village of Shaqra, Haidar Qoteish, 36, says he has watched fires devour fields and orchards in his hometown of Hula, just five kilometres (three miles) away but under Israeli military control. "They've burnt everything. You can see the fields are all black," the father of four told AFP by telephone.