Khaberni - "UNIFIL" forces announced that the Israeli army sprayed a chemical substance in southern Lebanon days after Israeli aircraft sprayed unknown substances over vast areas of cultivated land in southern Syria.
"UNIFIL" stated in a statement that they "were informed by the Israeli army yesterday morning, Sunday, that it would carry out an aerial activity to drop what it described as a non-toxic chemical substance over areas near the Blue Line".
The statement added that the Israeli army asked peacekeeping forces to stay away and in covered places, which forced them to cancel more than ten activities that were scheduled, and they were not able to resume their regular activities until more than nine hours had passed. They assisted the Lebanese armed forces in collecting samples to test them and verify their toxicity.
UNIFIL confirmed that "this activity is unacceptable and violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701", indicating that this activity "raised concerns about the unknown effects of this chemical substance on local agricultural lands, and how it affects the long-term return of civilians to their homes and livelihoods".
The statement noted that "this is not the first time that the Israeli army has sprayed unknown chemical substances from its aircraft over Lebanese lands".
The Ministry of Environment announced that Minister of Environment Tamara Al Zain contacted the army commander General Rudolf Heikal, to request samples from sites where these materials were sprayed, in order to analyze them and determine their nature.
In the same context, local Syrian sources reported that Israeli aviation sprayed unknown substances over agricultural lands in a number of villages and towns in the central and northern countryside of Quneitra, southern Syria, last Friday.
"The Syrian News" explained that the Israeli aircraft sprayed these materials over vast areas of cultivated land, which caused a state of worry and fear among the farmers and residents regarding the nature of these materials and the potential effects on the environment, crops, and public health.
