BEIRUT, Lebanon: Lebanon has lodged a complaint with the United Nations Security Council over Israel’s alleged spraying of herbicide glyphosate in Lebanese territory near the border earlier this year, the Lebanese foreign ministry said on Sunday.
The ministry said in a statement that it had sent a letter this week to the Security Council and UN Secretary-General António Guterres regarding the incident, which it said occurred in February, one month before the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on March 2.
According to the ministry, laboratory tests and chemical analyses conducted on soil samples from the southern border villages of Aita al-Shaab, Ras Naqura and Dhayra confirmed the presence of glyphosate at unusually high concentrations.
The ministry said the detected levels “greatly exceed” those typically found in agricultural areas following routine use by farmers.
The complaint was based on findings contained in a report by Lebanon’s government-linked National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), the statement added.
The ministry said the spraying raised serious environmental and public health concerns.
At the time of the incident, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Israel had informed the peacekeeping mission of plans to spray a “non-toxic chemical substance” near the border. The mission also said peacekeepers had been advised to take shelter during the operation.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had previously condemned the spraying, describing it as “a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a crime against the environment and health”.
In the same communication to the Security Council, Lebanon also protested ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory.
The foreign ministry specifically cited the targeting of a Lebanese army vehicle earlier this month, an incident that killed two officers and one soldier while they were on duty.
According to the ministry, attacks against Lebanese military personnel undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries.
“Israel’s targeting of Lebanese army personnel directly undermines these diplomatic efforts,” the statement said.
The complaint comes as Israel and Lebanon pursue an unprecedented diplomatic track to end hostilities along their border. In April, the two sides began direct talks in Washington. Another round of negotiations is scheduled for later this month.
