Israeli Channel 12 reported that the Israeli army used this ancient siege weapon to launch fireballs across the border.

A video circulating on social media shows Israeli forces igniting a fireball and mechanically launching it beyond the wall near Lebanon using a trebuchet. These attacks have caused extensive damage to large swathes of agricultural land and orchards in southern Lebanon.

In January, Lebanon's Agriculture Minister Abbas Haj Hassan reported that the Ministry of Agriculture monitored 613 fires across a 210 km² area of agricultural lands in the South. The hostile raids by the Israeli army destroyed approximately 800 hectares (one hectare equals 10,000 square meters) of agricultural land. This destruction included over 50,000 olive trees, some of which were 300 years old, and resulted in the death of thousands of livestock, including sheep, goats, and cows.

Minister Haj Hassan emphasized the difficulty in providing accurate figures on the extent of the damage due to the ongoing Israeli bombings.

Earlier this month, intense confrontations led to fires in several sites across Israeli-occupied northern territories. Israeli news website Ynet reported that the blazes forced authorities to evacuate settlements in the al-Jalil Panhandle, including the largest settlement in the area, Kiryat Shmona.

Large numbers of firefighters were deployed to control the fires, which spread to northern parts of Kiryat Shmona, coming dangerously close to housing units. Residents in Kiryat Shmona and Margaliot were ordered to evacuate as the uncontrollable blazes rapidly spread across the wilderness. Local authorities are conducting house-by-house visits to ensure the evacuation of settlers.

The continued daily bombings and the use of unconventional weapons like the trebuchet highlight the escalating conflict and its severe impact on agricultural and civilian areas in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. The situation remains volatile, with significant humanitarian and environmental repercussions. (ILKHA)