BEIRUT, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon since the onset of the Gaza conflict has led to a 30-percent decline in agricultural production, Lebanese Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan said on Friday.
"The Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon prevented farmers in villages and towns adjacent to the occupied Palestinian territories from reaching their lands to reap fruits or grow crops, which affected up to 30 percent of Lebanese agricultural production," the National News Agency quoted Hajj Hassan as saying.
The decline in production in turn affected the export of agricultural products and led to a rise in the price of fruits and vegetables during the current Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Hajj Hassan said.
The minister further noted that so far the economic loss of the agricultural sector from Israeli strikes cannot be specified, as the conflict is still ongoing. Still, it is estimated at billions of dollars.
Hajj Hassan added that Lebanon has complained to the United Nations Security Council about Israel's "aggression" in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since Oct. 8, 2023, after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attack on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. ■
