Khaberni - The Directorate of Agriculture in Quneitra Governorate, southern Syria, issued an urgent health warning to the residents and farmers in the southern rural areas of Quneitra, after agricultural areas were exposed to spraying by unknown substances by Israeli army aircraft. The directorate advised citizens to avoid approaching the affected areas or dealing with their plants until the results of laboratory analyses are issued.
Israeli agricultural aircraft continued today, Tuesday, and for the second consecutive day, to spray substances described as "unknown" over agricultural lands in the southern rural area of Quneitra, near the border strip with the occupied Syrian Golan, raising widespread fears among the farmers about their health and environmental impacts.
The Syrian "News Channel" reported that the Israeli agricultural aircraft flew at low altitudes over cultivated areas adjacent to the separating fence, and sprayed substances of unknown source or composition, amid warnings of its negative reflections on the plant cover, pastures, and animal resources in the area.
In this context, the Directorate of Agriculture of Quneitra, in cooperation with the Directorate of Environment, announced that since yesterday, Monday, it has started taking samples from the plants that were exposed to spraying, in order to analyze them in a laboratory and determine the nature of the materials used, amid escalating concerns that they may contain toxic or harmful compounds.
Maher Jahjah, one of the farmers of Quneitra's countryside, told "Al-Araby Al-Jadeed" that Israeli aircraft have continued for two days to spray unknown substances over our agricultural lands near the border, which raised our fears and prevented us from approaching, fearing that these substances might be toxic. He added, "We are waiting for what the Directorate of Agriculture will announce and we fear that these materials might be harmful to the soil in the long term, and that their effects may reflect on livestock and the health of the residents, especially children". Jahjah also mentioned that the farmers "are incurring big losses, especially with the ongoing intrusions and the conversion of some lands into military zones where approaching is prohibited, in the absence of any real compensation or protection".
These developments come at a time when the areas of rural Quneitra and the Syrian-Israeli border strip witness repeated intrusions, including airstrikes and the flying of reconnaissance and agricultural aircraft, in addition to targeting that affects the infrastructure and agricultural lands, according to what the Syrian authorities and residents confirm, who see that these practices contribute to increasing tension and cause direct damage to their livelihoods and daily lives.
