ABSTRACT

Firefighters and residents of south Lebanon have accused the Israeli military of intentionally setting wildfires in the region using incendiary munitions, flares, and drones since a ceasefire that mostly ended fighting between Hezbollah and Israel took effect on 17 June, according to testimony from first responders and videos reviewed by the Guardian. The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment on each of the incidents.

The Guardian

Firefighters and residents accuse Israeli military of deliberately igniting wildfires in south Lebanon

Aug 12, 2026, 12:00 AM

Context

Hussein Fakih, head of civil defence in the Nabatieh region, said Israeli forces dropped flares in a wooded area near Khiam on Tuesday, igniting fires. When firefighters moved to extinguish the flames, a drone reportedly struck nearby, forcing their withdrawal. Fakih said roughly 30 to 40 percent of land close to the frontline has been affected by fires, and that most civil defence missions now concern fire response.

Fakih described a daily pattern since the ceasefire: small drones dropping incendiary materials, white phosphorus shells fired at woodlands, and illumination flares dropped during daylight hours to ignite vegetation.

On Friday, Israeli munitions allegedly started large wildfires in two heavily forested areas — near Kfarchouba, close to the border, and between Jezzine and the western Bekaa valley. Samir Hardan, civil defence station chief in that area, said a drone dropped a munition in the Kfarchouba woodland on Friday afternoon. After fires were extinguished by Saturday, a second drone reportedly started another fire on Sunday.

Firefighters are required to coordinate movements with the Lebanese army, which relays requests to a deconfliction group that includes the Israeli military. According to the article, firefighters were granted permission to operate at only two locations despite fires burning in other areas.

On 1 August, returning displaced residents of the border village of Yaroun found olive and fruit groves, along with homes, set ablaze by Israeli troops. Hafez Ghasham, the mayor of Yaroun, said nearly all 900 houses in the village had been bulldozed by the Israeli military in preceding months, and that large, old olive groves were then burned.

The Israeli military stated previously that Hezbollah used forested areas as cover for fighters and tunnels.

Past incidents cited in the article include Israeli troops using trebuchets to fling flaming debris over the border wall in summer 2024, Lebanese army photographs of Israeli drones fitted with hoses to spray flammable materials on forests, and Israeli aircraft dropping herbicides linked to cancer on south Lebanese farms in February of this year.

All Perspectives

Lebanese civil defence (Fakih): Hussein Fakih said that incendiary bombs have been dropped every day since the ceasefire, involving small drones dropping incendiary materials, white phosphorus shells fired at woodlands, and illumination flares dropped during the daytime so vegetation catches fire. He said 30 to 40 percent of land near the frontline has been affected and that most civil defence missions now relate to fires.

Lebanese civil defence (Hardan): Samir Hardan said a drone started a fire near Kfarchouba on Friday afternoon. After firefighters battled and extinguished the blaze overnight, a second drone ignited another fire on Sunday. Firefighters were given permission to fight fires at only two locations, not in all areas where fires were burning.

Environmental group (Green Southerners): Hisham Younes, founder of the Lebanese conservation organisation Green Southerners, said the fires are part of a pattern of Israeli attacks against Lebanon's environment, describing the actions as 'ecocide.' He said the affected woodlands are long-established, dominated by productive stone pine and oak, and serve as an important passage and resting ground for migratory birds. He argued the destruction 'progressively erodes the ability of ecosystems to function, regenerate and sustain life,' and that when environmental destruction undermines livelihoods and people's ability to remain on their land, it becomes 'inseparable from the wider transformation of the territory itself.'

Yaroun mayor (Ghasham): Hafez Ghasham said Israeli troops bulldozed all but 20 of the village's 900 houses before setting fire to large groves of old olive trees inherited from previous generations. He said the trees had both sentimental and economic value, and described the destruction as an effort to 'make the land uninhabitable,' erasing 'our entire history, our entire culture, all our memories.'

Israeli military: The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment on each of the wildfire incidents. It has stated in the past that Hezbollah used forested areas as cover for fighters and tunnels.

Position not represented in the source reporting: Israeli military — no current response to the specific wildfire allegations is included despite the military being the central party accused.

Gaps & Unknowns

No independent verification of the precise cause of each individual fire is provided; the article relies primarily on testimony from Lebanese civil defence officials and residents.
No current Israeli military statement addressing the specific wildfire allegations is included; only a general past statement about Hezbollah use of forests is cited.
The total land area burned is not quantified; Fakih said he did not have exact figures.
The deconfliction group's rationale for limiting firefighter access to only two locations is not explained.
The Lebanese government's official position on the fires and any diplomatic steps taken are not addressed.
No independent ecological or legal assessment of the fires' causes or classification under international law is included beyond the environmental group's characterisation.

Sources & Further Reading

The Jerusalem Post — original — by REUTERS
The Guardian — by William Christou

Read the original at The Jerusalem Post

Related Coverage