04:06Pomegranate farmers in southern Lebanon's Hasbaya region say they face 'great danger' during harvest season this year as Israel's offensive against Hezbollah in the border areas continues.
Footage captured on Thursday shows pomegranate growers picking fruit in an orchard before preparing the produce to be shipped and sold at markets.
Farmers say they are unable to produce molasses from the fruit amid the constant threat of shelling and have reduced their total output.
"We now come early in the morning because the shelling is less intense, yet sometimes we hear the sound of shelling from nearby areas like Khiam and Marjayoun," said Jamal Khair, owner of the orchard.
"We have reduced our farming to only rely on tree fruit crops. Even sales are no longer significant because the markets we used to sell to and depend on, such as Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil, and Kafr Kila, have had their roads cut off and are subjected to daily shelling," he continued.
Meanwhile, local seller Amal Khair al-Deen explained that pomegranate crops are just as 'significant' for Hasbaya as Lebanon's famed olive harvests.
"The pomegranate season here is huge, and the people of Hasbaya rely on it as a main season. Most households store over a thousand kilograms of pomegranates," she said. "We used to distribute to the state of Qatar, but due to security conditions, the import by plane, ship, or any other means is no longer available."
Pomegranate molasses is produced by dividing the fruit into two halves, then flipping it over and tapping its outer peel with a wooden mallet to release the seeds. Later, the seeds are pressed in a mill, where the juice is extracted and boiled on a stove for three to four hours. The syrup is then bottled and sold at markets for around $20 a litre.
Hasbaya is approximately eight kilometres away from the Lebanese-Israeli border, and its villages are subjected to daily shelling.
Israel is conducting a ground incursion into parts of southern Lebanon, as well as an ongoing campaign of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, over 2,200 people have been killed in the aerial attacks.
The current escalation began last month with explosions of wireless communications devices used by Hezbollah, which killed dozens and injured thousands. The sides have exchanged cross-border strikes since the outbreak of the 2023 Gaza war.
'We face great danger' - Lebanese farmers report 'significant' losses as pomegranate harvest disrupted by Israeli shelling
Pomegranate farmers in southern Lebanon's Hasbaya region say they face 'great danger' during harvest season this year as Israel's offensive against Hezbollah in the border areas continues.
Footage captured on Thursday shows pomegranate growers picking fruit in an orchard before preparing the produce to be shipped and sold at markets.
Farmers say they are unable to produce molasses from the fruit amid the constant threat of shelling and have reduced their total output.
"We now come early in the morning because the shelling is less intense, yet sometimes we hear the sound of shelling from nearby areas like Khiam and Marjayoun," said Jamal Khair, owner of the orchard.
"We have reduced our farming to only rely on tree fruit crops. Even sales are no longer significant because the markets we used to sell to and depend on, such as Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil, and Kafr Kila, have had their roads cut off and are subjected to daily shelling," he continued.
Meanwhile, local seller Amal Khair al-Deen explained that pomegranate crops are just as 'significant' for Hasbaya as Lebanon's famed olive harvests.
"The pomegranate season here is huge, and the people of Hasbaya rely on it as a main season. Most households store over a thousand kilograms of pomegranates," she said. "We used to distribute to the state of Qatar, but due to security conditions, the import by plane, ship, or any other means is no longer available."
Pomegranate molasses is produced by dividing the fruit into two halves, then flipping it over and tapping its outer peel with a wooden mallet to release the seeds. Later, the seeds are pressed in a mill, where the juice is extracted and boiled on a stove for three to four hours. The syrup is then bottled and sold at markets for around $20 a litre.
Hasbaya is approximately eight kilometres away from the Lebanese-Israeli border, and its villages are subjected to daily shelling.
Israel is conducting a ground incursion into parts of southern Lebanon, as well as an ongoing campaign of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, over 2,200 people have been killed in the aerial attacks.
The current escalation began last month with explosions of wireless communications devices used by Hezbollah, which killed dozens and injured thousands. The sides have exchanged cross-border strikes since the outbreak of the 2023 Gaza war.
Pomegranate farmers in southern Lebanon's Hasbaya region say they face 'great danger' during harvest season this year as Israel's offensive against Hezbollah in the border areas continues.
Footage captured on Thursday shows pomegranate growers picking fruit in an orchard before preparing the produce to be shipped and sold at markets.
Farmers say they are unable to produce molasses from the fruit amid the constant threat of shelling and have reduced their total output.
"We now come early in the morning because the shelling is less intense, yet sometimes we hear the sound of shelling from nearby areas like Khiam and Marjayoun," said Jamal Khair, owner of the orchard.
"We have reduced our farming to only rely on tree fruit crops. Even sales are no longer significant because the markets we used to sell to and depend on, such as Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil, and Kafr Kila, have had their roads cut off and are subjected to daily shelling," he continued.
Meanwhile, local seller Amal Khair al-Deen explained that pomegranate crops are just as 'significant' for Hasbaya as Lebanon's famed olive harvests.
"The pomegranate season here is huge, and the people of Hasbaya rely on it as a main season. Most households store over a thousand kilograms of pomegranates," she said. "We used to distribute to the state of Qatar, but due to security conditions, the import by plane, ship, or any other means is no longer available."
Pomegranate molasses is produced by dividing the fruit into two halves, then flipping it over and tapping its outer peel with a wooden mallet to release the seeds. Later, the seeds are pressed in a mill, where the juice is extracted and boiled on a stove for three to four hours. The syrup is then bottled and sold at markets for around $20 a litre.
Hasbaya is approximately eight kilometres away from the Lebanese-Israeli border, and its villages are subjected to daily shelling.
Israel is conducting a ground incursion into parts of southern Lebanon, as well as an ongoing campaign of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, over 2,200 people have been killed in the aerial attacks.
The current escalation began last month with explosions of wireless communications devices used by Hezbollah, which killed dozens and injured thousands. The sides have exchanged cross-border strikes since the outbreak of the 2023 Gaza war.