The Lebanese president says the latest ‘aggression’ is an environmental crime and a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
President of Lebanon Joseph Aun Israel has accused Israel of committing an environmental crime after Israeli forces sprayed southern Lebanese cities with an unknown substance, which Beirut described as toxic.
Aoun condemned the Israeli move on Wednesday, he ordered government agencies to use all diplomatic and legal measures “to respond to this attack”, which he said represented a “clear violation” of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
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“This is an environmental and health crime against Lebanese citizens and their land,” Aoun was quoted as saying by Lebanon’s National News Agency.
He added that the incident was “ongoing Repeated attacks by Israel On Lebanon and its people.
Since Hezbollah and Israel signed a cease-fire agreement in November 2024, Israel has carried out almost daily attacks on Lebanon in violation of the agreement.
“The international community and relevant UN organizations must shoulder their responsibility to stop these attacks as these dangerous practices target farmland and civilian livelihoods and threaten their health and environment,” Aoun said.
United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said they were informed by the Israeli army on Monday that they would spray “non-toxic chemical agents” from the air in areas near the border.
“(The Israeli army) told peacekeepers to stay away and stay under cover, forcing them to cancel dozens of activities,” UNIFIL said.
Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Tuesday that UNIFIL suspended its operations for nine hours as a result of the attack and that the force then worked with the Lebanese army to collect samples of the sprayed material.
The exact nature of the chemical is still unclear.
“Any action that endangers peacekeepers and civilians is a matter of grave concern,” Dujarric said on Monday. “We reiterate our call for all parties to fully comply with their obligations under resolution 1701.”
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, remains the basis for a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.
Israel continues to occupy five points along the Lebanese border as it impedes the rebuilding of several border villages leveled to the ground and detains thousands of people. displaced people from returning to their homes.
The Lebanese government is pressing for diplomatic measures to prevent Israeli violations.
In January, Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Filed a complaint The UN documented 2,036 Israeli violations of the ceasefire in the last three months of 2025.
At the same time, last year, Beirut issued an order to disarm Hezbollah, which the Iran-allied group called a “serious” mistake.
The Lebanese party has argued that its armed wing is necessary to counter Israeli expansionism.
Still, Hezbollah, which has been weakened by a 2024 Israeli attack that killed the group’s top leaders, No response Military to frequent Israeli attacks.
While refusing to lay down its weapons, Hezbollah has expressly agreed to demilitarize south of the Litani River through the Israeli border in accordance with UN Resolution 1701. Last month, the Lebanese government said Finished removing it Hezbollah weapons in that area.
The second phase of Beirut’s demilitarization plan will cover an area about 40km (25 miles) north of Litani, south of the Awli River.