"Khairallah is harvesting the olives, even though there aren't many this year. The orchard, which once contained 200 olive trees and dozens of other fruit-bearing trees, is now largely destroyed. After a ceasefire was declared between Hezbollah and Israel in November 2024, ending a one-year war, the Israeli army entered the area, bulldozed the land, and uprooted trees across border areas, including Hula."
"This was the place where my brothers and I lived our lives, said Khairallah, as he walked next to the olive trees that he said were more than 40 years old. We spent long hours here ploughing, planting, and harvesting. But the [Israeli] occupation army has destroyed everything. Khairallah now has 10 olive trees left, but their yield is small for several reasons, most notably the lack of rainfall."
Farmers harvest olives under Israeli military surveillance near the Lebanon-Israel border, risking lives to reach exposed groves. In Hula, Khairallah Yaacoub harvests from a largely destroyed orchard; once 200 olive trees, now only 10 remain. After a November 2024 ceasefire the Israeli army entered border areas, bulldozed the land, and uprooted trees; Lebanon's agriculture minister cites 56,000 uprooted olive trees. Israeli officials plan to remain in a buffer zone indefinitely. Groves are fully exposed to Israeli positions, making farmers' movements visible and deterring access. Yield has fallen due to abandonment, drought, and war; Khairallah aims to restore and replant.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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