ISRAELI WAR CRIMES: Israel Sprays Herbicides Over Syrian Farmland, Leaving a Trail of Destroyed Crops and Debt for Farmers

A France 24 report documents Israeli aircraft spraying herbicides over agricultural land in southern Syria in January and February 2026, destroying large areas of farmland.

Videos from Quneitra show Israeli planes flying low over fields near the buffer zone separating Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The zone is supposed to be demilitarised, yet since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024 Israel has established military positions there and pushed further into Syrian territory.

Farmers say their crops turned yellow within days of the spraying. Local agricultural authorities report that hundreds of hectares were damaged, including orchards.

One farmer told France 24 he lost 7.5 hectares of wheat after Israeli aircraft sprayed chemicals on January 27. By early February the crops had withered completely, leaving him with debts for seeds and farming costs.

Satellite analysis by the NGO PAX indicates the herbicide spraying stretched roughly 55 kilometers along the border area. Between 6 and 10 square kilometers of land were affected.

According to PAX analyst Wim Zwijnenburg, Israel is effectively creating a “dead zone” along the Syrian and Lebanese borders, destroying vegetation and farmland under the pretext of security.See more, details. .