Farmers in border towns in southern Lebanon are facing difficulties accessing their olive groves, as residents and municipalities reject Israeli conditions restricting the number of people allowed to participate in the harvest and the duration of the work. They are also calling for escorts from the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to protect farmers.<\/p>\n
In the Arqoub region, landowners fear losing the harvest as arrangements for accessing their fields remain delayed. This comes amid local reports of olive trees being bulldozed and farmers being prevented from harvesting, as well as reports that two residents were detained while working on their land.<\/p>\n
Sources familiar with the area told Sky News Arabia that residents and mayors had rejected proposed arrangements allowing only 100 people and 25 vehicles to access the fields for a single day, arguing that these limits were incompatible with the size of the land and the number of its owners.<\/p>\n
Local media reported that the Israeli conditions include checks of identity documents, official papers and mobile phones, as well as a prohibition on the Lebanese Army or UNIFIL accompanying farmers.<\/p>\n
Qassem al-Qadri, head of the Arqoub Union of Municipalities and mayor of Kfar Shuba, said the town has approximately 85,000 olive trees, making it impractical to complete the harvest in a single day with only 100 people participating. He added that the restrictions raise questions about how the farmers permitted to enter are selected, as well as the failure of the proposed arrangements to cover all the fields their owners need to access.<\/p>\n
Al-Qadri explained that around three months ago, the border municipalities had sent letters to the presidents of the republic, parliament and government, and had contacted the Intelligence Directorate and UNIFIL leadership in preparation for the harvest season, which began in mid-October.<\/p>\n
He added that these communications had not produced clear arrangements. He noted that the commander of UNIFIL\u2019s Eastern Sector had informed him of plans to send an engineering team to identify the areas and roads that patrols would use, and had asked him to coordinate with the Lebanese Army to arrange an escort.<\/p>\n
According to al-Qadri, the army told him it needed instructions through the \u201cMechanism\u201d committee before taking action. It later contacted him to ask when the farmers planned to head to their land.<\/p>\n
Al-Qadri said he had designated October 15 as the date for farmers to gather in Kfar Shuba\u2019s town square at 8 a.m., with harvesting scheduled to continue until 4 p.m. However, according to his account, neither Lebanese Army patrols nor international forces arrived at the square at the appointed time.<\/p>\n
He added that he then headed to the fields with a number of farmers and began harvesting olives, before Israeli patrols arrived about two hours later. The patrols deployed among the workers and warned them against continuing the harvest without authorization through the \u201cMechanism\u201d committee, ordering them to leave until they were permitted to return.<\/p>\n
Al-Qadri stressed that residents remained determined to exercise their right to access their land, calling on the Lebanese state to provide safe conditions that would allow them to gather their crops.<\/p>\n
Local media reported that farmers had been prevented from reaching olive groves in several areas of Kfar Shuba, including Azrael and Bastara, and had been ordered to leave or obtain prior permission. Reports also indicated that olive trees had been bulldozed and damaged, while an Israeli force reportedly advanced into the Khallat Zuhair area of Kfar Shuba and detained two residents of the town as they were harvesting olives.<\/p>\n
Farmers fear that delays in accessing their fields will lead to the loss of their crops, while damage to the trees threatens long-term harm to the livelihoods of families that depend on agriculture.<\/p>\n
The Arqoub Sons Association called on the state and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene through the \u201cMechanism\u201d committee, arrange an escort by UNIFIL and work to file a complaint with the United Nations Security Council.<\/p>\n
While rejecting the conditions, some landowners have expressed a willingness to explore direct ways to facilitate the harvest. Abu Yusuf, a local resident who owns olive trees in the border areas, said he preferred communicating directly with the Israelis rather than going through intermediaries to reach an understanding on a mechanism that would allow access to the fields.<\/p>\n
Other farmers, however, insist that access must be secured through Lebanese institutions and international forces, rejecting any requirement for Israeli permission to work on their own land.<\/p>\n
Mohammed Issa, a farmer from Kfar Shuba, told Sky News Arabia: \u201cWe inherited this land from our fathers and grandfathers, and we wait for the olive season all year. How can we harvest our crops if we have to wait for Israeli permission? What are we supposed to do if our trees remain unharvested?\u201d<\/p>\n
From the town of Shebaa, farmer Abu Ali Zahra said: \u201cWe have hundreds of trees that require days of work. How can the harvest be completed in a single day with a limited number of farmers? We are asking for nothing more than safe access to our land, accompanied by the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL.\u201d<\/p>\n
Residents are calling for a mechanism that covers all fields and organizes the harvest in stages suited to the needs of each area, while providing the necessary escorts to protect farmers and save the season.<\/p>\n
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