by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Although Israel's active military operations in southern Lebanon ceased in mid-June, the situation in the south remains far from calm following the signing of a framework ceasefire agreement.
The fighting has given way to massive and devastating forest fires, which flare up with enviable regularity near Khiyam, Kfar Shuba, Yarun and Aytarun.
Local residents believe the disasters are the work of the Israeli army, clearing a "safe space" for itself. They are echoed by firefighters, environmentalists, and human rights organizations, who accuse the Israelis of both committing environmental genocide against their Arab neighbor and attempting to undermine the exiled population's motivation to return to their homes.
However, playing with fire like this risks backfiring on Israel in the long run.
IT'S NO LONGER A COINCIDENCE
Since mid-summer, fires in southern Lebanon have been recurring with enviable regularity, each time engulfing ever larger areas. Moreover, new outbreaks typically occur in remote areas with difficult terrain, making them difficult to extinguish quickly.
As a result, the elements decimate vast areas, damaging local ecosystems for generations to come.
According to analysts from Lighthouse Reports, since mid-June 2026, more than 20% of agricultural land and forests in southern Lebanon have been destroyed or severely damaged by fire. This includes stands of centuries-old oaks and fruit-bearing pines, which serve as a natural sanitary and ecological shield for settlements.
Local activists cite even more depressing figures. In particular, according to estimates by Hussein Fakih , head of the Nabatieh Civil Defense Service , whose units participated in extinguishing the largest fires in July and August, the raging elements in some areas near the front line left around 40% of the territory affected by fire.
Both farmers and firefighters are convinced that the disasters are primarily man-made. This is partly because, despite relatively similar climate patterns, the natural disasters have barely affected other parts of the country, while the south "burns frequently and intensely."
The Lebanese side blames Israel for the incident, claiming its military regularly fires incendiary munitions at local forests. In August alone, observers documented at least three instances of Israeli drones dropping incendiary munitions on forested areas in the south of the country. Furthermore, Israeli artillery periodically harassed forests with white phosphorus shells.
There have also been numerous recorded instances of Israeli soldiers launching flares during daylight hours to remotely set fire to dry grass and small bushes in the "gray zone."
And although such incidents are repeatedly dismissed as "accidental," the Israeli side openly obstructs firefighters from dealing with the aftermath. For example, on August 11, local civil defense crews responding to the impact of a flare were struck by an Israeli drone.
DEAD TREES
Among residents of the south, the current round of conflict has been aptly dubbed the "war on the groves." In addition to regular forests, olive groves, a national treasure, are being destroyed en masse by the fires.
The total area of land in this category destroyed and damaged by fire, according to the latest estimates, already exceeds one thousand hectares (about 5% of the total area of olive groves in the south).
Considering that the olive tree is a perennial plant, and the destruction of even one mature grove deprives local farmers of a source of income for several years to come, the destruction of their orchards also leaves a significant portion of the residents of border villages without the motivation to return to their abandoned settlements.
This way, Israel will face less resistance when it subsequently “reclaims” the abandoned lands and turns them into a permanent “security belt” along the borders.
The IDF predictably denies the accusations, calling them "false propaganda" and "Hezbollah's machinations." At the same time, Lebanese military command officials make no secret of the fact that they do not consider the southern economic areas to be inviolable territory.
According to a directive issued by the Israeli General Staff at the end of May 2026, the military was given the right to clear forests and agricultural land near the border in cases where they are used by the enemy for covert movement, surveillance, and the installation of infrastructure.
In other words, Israel can easily justify any claims from the Lebanese side as operational necessity.
A DANGEROUS GAME
On the other hand, this literal play with fire carries a hidden danger for its organizers as well. Controlling the elements isn't always possible.
For example, on August 12, one of the fires, caused by the dropping of Israeli incendiary munitions, suddenly spread to the territory of the Jewish state, in the area of the Snir stream, and grew so large that six firefighting aircraft from the specialized Elad air squadron had to be dispatched to extinguish it.
For local settlers, who lead a predominantly agricultural lifestyle, fire is no less dangerous than for southern Lebanese. Therefore, they react negatively to any attempts by the authorities to dabble in hybrid warfare, fearing that sooner or later the fire will reach their homes.
With Israel facing difficult parliamentary elections, where the political career of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at stake , widespread discontent among northerners, who are already resentful of the government for numerous missteps in the border region, could complicate the election campaign for the government parties.
Hezbollah understands this well. Therefore, they are in no rush to join the war on the groves and set fires near Israeli settlements—apparently hoping to play this trump card closer to October, in order to maximally convert the discontent of northern settlers into protest votes.
The fighting has given way to massive and devastating forest fires, which flare up with enviable regularity near Khiyam, Kfar Shuba, Yarun and Aytarun.
Local residents believe the disasters are the work of the Israeli army, clearing a "safe space" for itself. They are echoed by firefighters, environmentalists, and human rights organizations, who accuse the Israelis of both committing environmental genocide against their Arab neighbor and attempting to undermine the exiled population's motivation to return to their homes.
However, playing with fire like this risks backfiring on Israel in the long run.
IT'S NO LONGER A COINCIDENCE
Since mid-summer, fires in southern Lebanon have been recurring with enviable regularity, each time engulfing ever larger areas. Moreover, new outbreaks typically occur in remote areas with difficult terrain, making them difficult to extinguish quickly.
As a result, the elements decimate vast areas, damaging local ecosystems for generations to come.
According to analysts from Lighthouse Reports, since mid-June 2026, more than 20% of agricultural land and forests in southern Lebanon have been destroyed or severely damaged by fire. This includes stands of centuries-old oaks and fruit-bearing pines, which serve as a natural sanitary and ecological shield for settlements.
Local activists cite even more depressing figures. In particular, according to estimates by Hussein Fakih , head of the Nabatieh Civil Defense Service , whose units participated in extinguishing the largest fires in July and August, the raging elements in some areas near the front line left around 40% of the territory affected by fire.
Both farmers and firefighters are convinced that the disasters are primarily man-made. This is partly because, despite relatively similar climate patterns, the natural disasters have barely affected other parts of the country, while the south "burns frequently and intensely."
The Lebanese side blames Israel for the incident, claiming its military regularly fires incendiary munitions at local forests. In August alone, observers documented at least three instances of Israeli drones dropping incendiary munitions on forested areas in the south of the country. Furthermore, Israeli artillery periodically harassed forests with white phosphorus shells.
There have also been numerous recorded instances of Israeli soldiers launching flares during daylight hours to remotely set fire to dry grass and small bushes in the "gray zone."
And although such incidents are repeatedly dismissed as "accidental," the Israeli side openly obstructs firefighters from dealing with the aftermath. For example, on August 11, local civil defense crews responding to the impact of a flare were struck by an Israeli drone.
DEAD TREES
Among residents of the south, the current round of conflict has been aptly dubbed the "war on the groves." In addition to regular forests, olive groves, a national treasure, are being destroyed en masse by the fires.
The total area of land in this category destroyed and damaged by fire, according to the latest estimates, already exceeds one thousand hectares (about 5% of the total area of olive groves in the south).
Considering that the olive tree is a perennial plant, and the destruction of even one mature grove deprives local farmers of a source of income for several years to come, the destruction of their orchards also leaves a significant portion of the residents of border villages without the motivation to return to their abandoned settlements.
This way, Israel will face less resistance when it subsequently “reclaims” the abandoned lands and turns them into a permanent “security belt” along the borders.
The IDF predictably denies the accusations, calling them "false propaganda" and "Hezbollah's machinations." At the same time, Lebanese military command officials make no secret of the fact that they do not consider the southern economic areas to be inviolable territory.
According to a directive issued by the Israeli General Staff at the end of May 2026, the military was given the right to clear forests and agricultural land near the border in cases where they are used by the enemy for covert movement, surveillance, and the installation of infrastructure.
In other words, Israel can easily justify any claims from the Lebanese side as operational necessity.
A DANGEROUS GAME
On the other hand, this literal play with fire carries a hidden danger for its organizers as well. Controlling the elements isn't always possible.
For example, on August 12, one of the fires, caused by the dropping of Israeli incendiary munitions, suddenly spread to the territory of the Jewish state, in the area of the Snir stream, and grew so large that six firefighting aircraft from the specialized Elad air squadron had to be dispatched to extinguish it.
For local settlers, who lead a predominantly agricultural lifestyle, fire is no less dangerous than for southern Lebanese. Therefore, they react negatively to any attempts by the authorities to dabble in hybrid warfare, fearing that sooner or later the fire will reach their homes.
With Israel facing difficult parliamentary elections, where the political career of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at stake , widespread discontent among northerners, who are already resentful of the government for numerous missteps in the border region, could complicate the election campaign for the government parties.
Hezbollah understands this well. Therefore, they are in no rush to join the war on the groves and set fires near Israeli settlements—apparently hoping to play this trump card closer to October, in order to maximally convert the discontent of northern settlers into protest votes.