President Joseph Aoun condemned in the strongest terms the spraying of chemical substances in southern Lebanon, describing the act as a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
President Aoun considered Israeli aircraft spraying of toxic substances over agricultural lands and orchards in several southern border villages a “blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty” and a serious environmental and public health crime against Lebanese citizens and their land.”
The incident represents a continuation of repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon and its people, the Lebanese president said, according to a statement by the Lebanese Presidency.
الرئيس جوزاف عون دان بأشد العبارات، قيام الطائرات الإسرائيلية برش مبيدات سامة على الأراضي والبساتين في عدد من القرى الجنوبية الحدودية، معتبراً ان هذا العمل العدواني "يشكل انتهاكاً صارخاً للسيادة اللبنانية، وجريمة بيئية وصحية بحق المواطنين اللبنانيين وأرضهم، ويمثل استمراراً…
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) February 4, 2026
He warned that such practices endanger agricultural livelihoods, threaten public health, and cause lasting environmental damage.
President Aoun stressed that such actions place a responsibility on the international community and relevant United Nations bodies to intervene, halt the violations, and protect Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Meanwhile, the president instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare a fully documented file, in coordination with the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, and Public Health, as a prelude to taking all necessary legal and diplomatic steps.
He said the documentation would be used to file formal complaints before the relevant international forums in response to the aggression, according to the statement by the Lebanese Presidency.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli aircraft dropped an unidentified substance over agricultural areas across several Lebanese border villages of Ayta Al-Shaab, Ramyeh, Dhaira and Alma Al-Shaab.
The Israeli army, continuing their ethnic cleansing campaign, is again committing ecocide in the southern villages. After countless attacks with white phosphorus, incendiary weapons, gasoline, and various types of ammunition, the Israeli army have today deployed this aircraft… pic.twitter.com/lS0fMTB4e1
— courtneybonneauimages (@cbonneauimages) February 1, 2026
Commenting on the Israeli move, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced on Monday its peacekeeping operations were severely disrupted.
In a statement posted on UNIFIL’s X account, the mission said the Israeli activity was unacceptable and contrary to resolution 1701.
The Israeli army’s “deliberate and planned actions not only limited peacekeepers’ ability to undertake their mandated activities, but also potentially put their health and that of civilians at risk.”
Yesterday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told UNIFIL that they would be carrying out an aerial activity dropping what they said was a non-toxic chemical substance over areas near the Blue Line.
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) February 2, 2026
Source: Al-Manar English Website