Lebanon’s lost olive season: harvesting olives under drones and warplanes

In Majdel Selm in southern Lebanon, Khaled Farhat tends about 200 olive trees, but reaching his grove, roughly a 20-minute drive from the Israeli border, has become more difficult amid Israel’s occupation. He must request access through his municipality, which forwards the request to the Lebanese Army; the army coordinates permits through a mechanism established under the June tripartite framework agreement between the United States, Israel and Lebanon. Ramy Zurayk, a professor at the American University of Beirut, says damage to farms and infrastructure and restrictions on movement are intended to make the area “sterile.” Volunteers from Akkar also joined an olive-picking initiative in Jebchit in solidarity with farmers whose crops and livelihoods have been affected by the war.