Two men killed during olive harvest in southern Lebanon

Two men died in separate incidents during the olive harvest in southern Lebanon on October 11, according to the National News Agency and local officials.

In Yater, a man was killed while inspecting his land and olive crop after shelling struck the town’s outskirts, the agency reported. The Lebanese army attributed the attack to Israeli tank fire.

In Froun, an engineer died when an explosive object left over from earlier fighting detonated near people tending olive trees. Mayor Hassan Bazzi told AFP that the man had travelled from his home in Beirut to join the harvest.

Yater’s municipality urged residents to stay away from the outskirts and avoid crossing the earthen barrier separating unsafe neighbourhoods.

Residents in Froun suspended harvesting until the Lebanese army could clear explosive remnants, the mayor said. The incidents occurred despite the ceasefire agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel in June.

Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on March 2, when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran. The International Organization for Migration recorded nearly 350,000 internally displaced people in late August.