Scorching the Monk Forest: Israel’s Ecocide in Southern Lebanon

The border between Israel and Lebanon is a mix of military infrastructure, farmland, villages, and small towns. Among them lies a woodland that is one of the last natural refuges in the zone.

Harj al-Raheb, or the Monk Forest, lies on the southern edge of Ayta ash-Shaab, a Lebanese village right on the border with Israel. Its 16 hectares (40 acres) are made up of two adjoining woodland areas, known locally as the Southern and Western Hima, that once enjoyed a degree of protection for their ecological richness and cultural value.

In early October 2023, these slopes were still thick with oak, carob, terebinth, and bay trees. Locals used the small black terebinth seeds to make a local bread, while the bay leaves were pressed to extract oil and produce a traditional soap known for its quality.