Israeli attacks devastate wheat fields in southern Lebanon and Bekaa Valley

Israeli military actions have severely damaged Lebanon’s wheat production, with large areas of farmland in the south and the Bekaa Valley left fallow.

According to Mariam Ibrahim of Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research, wheat‑growing areas in the South suffered losses of 47 % in the 2023‑2024 season and 61 % in 2024‑2025. The Bekaa plain, which supplies about 64 % of the country’s wheat, lost roughly 43 % and 57 % of its wheat area in the same periods.

In the border town of Bint Jbeil, 100 % of cropland was destroyed, while the Baalbeck district saw about 32 % of its cropland wiped out. Overall, the proportion of wheat‑cultivated land left unused rose from 9 % to 24 % since 2023, driven mainly by the conflict‑related destruction.

Context of the conflict

The damage follows a renewed Israeli offensive on 2 March, the second escalation in under two years, after Hezbollah struck Israel in response to the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader. Despite a ceasefire brokered in 2024 by France and the United States, Israeli forces have continued to advance up to 10 km into southern Lebanon, targeting homes, infrastructure and farmland.

Experts note that while the loss of wheat‑growing land has not yet altered national output dramatically, the destruction threatens long‑term food security and accelerates risks of drought and desertification, as highlighted by Munira Khayyat.

Source: Al Jazeera. Photo: David Pryke / Pexels.