Syria: Israeli pesticides destroy 80,000 square meters of wheat in Quneitra countryside
Syrian agricultural lands in Quneitra governorate are subject to frequent environmental attacks, as the Israeli army’s spraying of unknown pesticides destroys crops and dies livestock, threatening the livelihoods of local farmers and causing serious environmental damage.
Around 80 dunums (80,000 square meters) of wheat turn into barren land in Quneitra.
According to sources in Syria, wheat field in the town of Koudna in the central countryside of the Quneitra governorate, with an area estimated at 80,000 square meters, was damaged.
This destruction came after the fields were exposed to unknown chemicals that were sprayed by the Israeli military.
The impact was clear and tragic: the wheat crop died completely, which was a significant economic loss for farmers who depend on agriculture as their main source of income.
According to the sources, Syrian officials toured the area, as they witnessed a severe environmental and agricultural damage in all targeted sites, as the spraying caused the complete death of vegetation, including grasses and wild plants.
Details of the attacks: Israeli planes and repeated violations, as these attacks, targeting several villages at the Quneitra countryside, on the 1974 ceasefire strip in Quneitra, were Israeli agricultural aircraft belong to the Israeli army sprayed unknown chemicals from since the 25th of January, which is considered a clear violation of international conventions that prohibit the targeting of civilian property and agricultural infrastructure, especially in border areas.
The effects of these attacks go beyond the direct material losses, where: Threat to local food security, as the agricultural sector is the lifeline of the people living in the border areas.
The destruction of the natural environment: by using unknown chemicals poison soil and water, with long-term effects on the ecosystem.
Collapsed livelihoods: Farmers rely on their crops and herds for their daily sustenance, and losing them means facing famine and poverty.
The residents of the affected villages called on the concerned Syrian authorities to address international organizations and bodies to prosecute the party responsible for these acts and stop any similar operations in the future.
They also called on the Israeli army to provide compensation to those affected who lost their agricultural crops and herds after their deaths due to these toxic substances.
The persistence of these attacks without serious international accountability raises questions about double standards in the application of international law.
While international organizations denounce similar violations in other regions, violations of the environment and the livelihoods of civilians on Syria’s borders appear to be getting insufficient attention.
Syrian farmers in Quneitra are left alone in the face of this catastrophe, while Israeli planes continue to poison their land and destroy their future, waiting for serious international action to put an end to these repeated violations.
