Israeli shelling of Lebanese territory using banned white phosphorus has a negative impact on the country's economy, causing great losses, Lebanese Agriculture Minister Abbas Al Hajj Hassan told Sputnik on Wednesday.
"Since October 8 to the present moment, Israel has been carrying out brutal strikes on Lebanese territory with the use of internationally banned white phosphorus, which has a direct impact on the Lebanese economy […] The losses are huge!" the minister said.
Lebanon has lost hundreds of hectares of fertile land, the minister said.
Russia's resolution on the introduction of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was positive and fair, but it was overruled by the veto of the United States, the official said.
The minister added that Lebanese authorities also sought to sign a memorandum of understanding in agriculture with Russia, as Beirut believes "there is strength in the Russian economy and agricultural sector that we can benefit from."
On October 13, the Human Rights Watch non-governmental organization said that it had verified videos of Israel using artillery-fired white phosphorus to strike Lebanon and the Gaza Strip on October 10 and 11 and warned of grave risks to civilians. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions at the time. The United Nations and the US State Department both said they had no information suggesting Israel had used phosphorus munitions against the Gaza Strip.
White phosphorus is an incendiary substance used to create a smoke screen and mark targets, but if exposed to air, it burns at high temperatures and could cause severe damage to the human body.