Two men have died in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district while gathering olives during the yearly harvest, Lebanese state media and local officials said. The deaths come as Israeli attacks in the region persist.
One man was killed on Sunday in the village of Froun by a leftover munition from recent fighting, the state-run National News Agency reported. The other was struck in Yater by Israeli shelling that hit the edge of the town while he was checking his land and olive trees.
Engineer killed by leftover explosive in Froun
The Froun victim, an engineer, had travelled from Beirut, where he lives, to help with the harvest. He was tending trees with others when a foreign object exploded, the agency said, and Froun mayor Hassan Bazzi confirmed the details to AFP.
Bazzi said residents have suspended the harvest and are waiting for the Lebanese army to finish clearing the village of unexploded material.
Army blames Israeli tank fire for Yater death
The Lebanese army attributed the Yater shelling to Israeli tank fire and described the continued strikes as a clear violation of existing accords. The Yater municipality, meanwhile, urged residents to stay away from the town’s outskirts and not cross an earthen barrier that separates some dangerous areas, citing fears of further attacks.
Violence in the south has eased since a Lebanon-Israel agreement was reached in June, but it has not ended.
Wider war and displacement shape the harvest
Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on March 2, when Hezbollah fired on Israel in support of Tehran during the US-Israel war on Iran. Israel then launched a bombing campaign and a ground invasion, which authorities say have killed more than 4,300 people.
In August, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of deliberately targeting homes and civilian infrastructure. The International Organization for Migration recorded nearly 350,000 internally displaced people in late August.
Volunteers from nearby Jebchit joined local residents to help their southern neighbours with the harvest, a gesture of solidarity. Organiser Ahmad Chahhal said, “From north to south, one people and one land.”
