Israel spraying damages 4,400 hectares in Syria’s Quneitra
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Unidentified aerial spraying operations carried out by Israeli aircraft have damaged approximately 4,400 hectares of crops and grazing land in Syria’s Quneitra Governorate, local agricultural authorities said on Tuesday.
Jamal Mohammed Ali, Director of Agriculture in Quneitra, said around 400 hectares of cereal crops were affected by what are believed to be herbicides of unknown origin.
The spraying operations were reportedly conducted by aircraft belonging to the Israel Defense Forces between late January and early February.
According to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), photos and video footage showed low-flying aircraft over agricultural lands in Quneitra, leaving white trails behind them, indicating aerial dispersal of unidentified substances.
Mohammed Ali said the damage extended beyond cereal crops to include approximately 4,000 hectares of pastureland.
Technical teams have been dispatched to inspect affected sites in the governorate’s countryside. He noted that the spraying operations targeted the entire border strip from north to south.
The official warned that the damage poses a direct threat to farmers’ livelihoods and negatively impacts livestock resources in the area.
He added that the results of laboratory analyses of collected samples have not yet been officially announced. However, he suggested that the substances used were likely common herbicides such as Diuron and 2,4-DP.
Earlier in February, the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture said preliminary tests of the samples did not indicate cases of acute poisoning but did not specify the nature of the substances used in the spraying operations.