To identify the affected areas and assess the scale of herbicide use, we used geolocations from videos posted online and compared them with satellite imagery. The findings of our research show that at least a 55-kilometre-long strip of land in border areas of Syria has been affected, and they also reveal wider environmental damage associated with the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon and its military activities inside Syria.
The start of the spraying
The first reported incident occurred on 25 January 2026, when several Syrian X accounts posted footage on social media showing a small spraying aircraft flying over southern Quneitra province. The footage from this initial incident was geolocated by Samir (@obretix), identifying the filming location as overlooking deforested areas at coordinates33.011583, 35.871611 in the town of Kudnah, south of Quneitra. The video is shot facing south-west, with the town’s two water towers visible in the frame.
A clearer image posted on Facebook by a local media outlet on 27 January provides a detailed view of the aircraft, helping to identify the type of crop duster used.
The aircraft appears to be an Ayres S2R Thrush crop duster, a type for which a fleet is based at Mahanaim airfield northwest of Lake Tiberias. Similar aircraft were involved in an incident in 2019 when the IDF mistakenly opened fire on them while they were conducting spraying operations over the occupied Golan Heights.
A second incident occurred two days later, during which the visible release of substances led to outcries from Syrian farmers in occupied areas near Quneitra, southwest of Damascus and along the border with Israel. The aircraft sprayed the border area near the village of Kudnah. The local administration expressed concerns about environmental and health risks, stating that approximately 80 dunams of land had been affected. Images shared by local media showed agricultural fields where green vegetation turned yellow-brown following the spraying. The affected area is also clearly visible in Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and PlanetScope images from 8 February 2026.
This is a false-colour image showing healthy and degraded vegetation, posted by X user Samir (@obretix).
The same area is visible in PlanetScope true-colour imagery taken before and after the spraying, which also supports quantification of the affected area, estimated at roughly 1.5km km in length, part of which was agricultural land.
Additional local confirmation came from journalists with Horan Free Media, who posted images showing yellowed vegetation in the area, indicative of glyphosate use when contrasted with surrounding green vegetation.
The area sprayed by Israeli aircraft was previously forested, but most of the trees were cut down in mid-January 2025 by the Israeli army, as reported by France24.
Last year, Israeli forces also started logging trees around this area, claiming this was needed for fire-line clearance, yet local Sunni Syrians were not allowed to collect the trees for firewood, instead Druze Syrian from the Haddar town further north were taking the trees. It is estimated that in total over 9000 dunams (9km2) of trees, including fruit trees from orchards, were cut down by the IDF in the wider region of Quneitra.
Another video shared on January 30, 2026, shows two air planes spraying a substance along the border area at Jubata Al Kashab, north of Quneitra town. The video is geo-located by @obretix to be filmed from 33.22763,35.82266, facing southwest towards the border with Israel, with the visible windmills on the Israeli side.
The impact of this spraying is visible in Sentinel-2 satellite imagery from 8 February and Planet imagery from 7 February 2026. The observed impact appears limited to a spray “lane” approximately 7–10 metres wide along the border inside Syria, or extending several metres from the boundary line. The cross-border spraying appears intended for security purposes, namely maintaining cleared vegetation to prevent people or livestock from approaching the border. All identified affected areas are located within the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) zone established in 1974 inside Syrian territory. One video dated 30 January 2026 shows an Israeli crop-duster aircraft spraying near an UNDOF outpost.
Nonetheless, wind drift may carry herbicide beyond directly sprayed areas. This phenomenon was previously demonstrated in Gaza by Forensic Architecture, where crops across the border were affected by spraying conducted inside Israel. In major areas affected by spraying near the village of Kudnah, such drift may pose broader risks to agricultural land and the surrounding environment.
To identify affected areas, both visual interpretation and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis were used. The NDVI analysis, conducted by Dr. He Yin of Kent State University, assessed vegetation health through change detection comparing available Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery using false-colour composites before and after spraying operations commenced. The example below shows an affected strip of land with a yearly overview of site conditions, revealing a distinct elongated band of brown discoloration visible on 8 February 2026 following the reported spraying.
Below is a zoom in of the affected strip of land .
This 70 meter wide line and 3 kilometer long strip is unique and fits a flightpath lane of spraying from a small crop duster plane. A comparison of before and after imagery from the dates of January 19 and February 8 was applied, using this type of discoloration and similar width of such a strip along the border as indicator that the area was sprayed. Another approach was also developed by the GIS expert Sergio ‘Maps’ who developed a special script to be used in Copernicus EO Browser to distinguish the spraying lanes, which can be found here and an example below.
The Sentinel-2 index written by Sergio has been put into a Google Earth Engine script by remote sensing specialist Brian Perlman. His application includes a new option where a specific location can be selected to verify the rapid decline in NDVI values, which is in this specific case a good proxy to identify the use of glyphosate. It should be noted that the tools and methods used above are not in general applicable to detect glyphosate use, but have been instrumentel in this particular case as they supported other evidence such as geolocations and ground imagery.
Findings of the areas affected with herbicide in Syria
Based on this ‘quick-and-dirty’ scan of the area, we identified with a conservative estimate that a 54 kilometer long strip was sprayed across the Syrian border. In some areas multiple lanes were visible, both on the border and along ditches more inland, so in total this could be up to 100km long spraying lanes. The width of a single sprayed area ranges between 30-100 meters wide. Taking an average of a 50meter wide lane this would amount to at minimum of 2.5 kilometer of areas sprayed with herbicide, and a maximum of 5km2. In addition to this, the cut-down forest area near Kudnah had a total of 1.5km2 being sprayed. So between 4-6.5km2 of land seems to be affected with glyphosate from Israeli crop dusters in Syria.
This figure excludes the spraying in Lebanon which we could not identify on the available satellite imagery. The width of a single spraying lane seems to be between 30 and 100 meters, with sometimes double strips sprayed. The field test should confirm the results from our earth observation analysis.
Glyphosate use by Israel in Lebanon
In southern Lebanon the NGO Green Southerners also posted footage on their Instagram account of crop duster flying in the border areas near Al Bustun, with a clear view of the spraying of a substance over the land. An airplane was also recorded on the western coast over the border area between Israel and Lebanon near the village of Labbouneh. Other reported areas where crop dusters were flying and spraying a substance are near the villages of Aita al-Shaab, Ramiya, Al-Dhahira, Alma al-Shaab. Open-acces satellite imagery so far does not show any visible degraded land after the spraying, which usually occurs after two or three days, but can still occur later or it can be visible on more high-resolution imagery.
Substantial forested areas on the Lebanese side of the border were cleared by the IDF following the occupation in 2024 and 2025, reportedly for security-related reasons, leaving large portions of the border zone with little to no vegetation cover. This change is clearly visible in satellite imagery, as illustrated in the example below showing the area along the UN Blue Line between the Mediterranean Sea and the town of Labounneh.
What herbicides were used by Israel and what are the known risks?
The aircraft were likely using glyphosate, a widely used herbicide applied as a weed killer and for crop desiccation. It was originally developed by Monsanto in the 1970s and marketed as Roundup. Earlier herbicide use by Israel affecting land in Gaza was confirmed by the IDF to include glyphosate, oxyfluorfen (Oxygal), and diuron (Diurex).
Glyphosate remains contested with regard to health risks, with differing assessments by government institutions. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate in 2015 as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” whereas the European Commission concluded that it did not find conclusive evidence that glyphosate is carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction. However, the European Chemicals Agency did classify it as toxic to aquatic life. A recent 2025 study found evidence suggesting carcinogenic potential in cases of long-term exposure, and the EU has stated that it is reviewing these findings. Oxyfluorfen is a known toxic substance associated primarily with dermal exposure risks, including irritation; similar effects are associated with diuron.
Current use in Syria appears to involve spraying one or two strips of herbicide directly across the border line in most locations, with no confirmed direct civilian exposure reported. Impacts have primarily affected vegetation, orchards, and agricultural land across the border. Farmers interviewed by Al Jazeera reported losing crops and grazing land for cattle, thereby affecting their livelihoods. There is no public information indicating that Israel warned Syrian communities that spraying would take place. In Lebanon, Israel reportedly informed UNIFIL forces prior to operations, which resulted in UN personnel remaining in their bases, but no information appears to have been provided to Lebanese communities near the border.
Past herbicide use by Israel in Palestine
There is a well-documented history of transboundary environmental harm associated with Israeli herbicide spraying affecting Palestinian farmland in Gaza. Organizations such as Forensic Architecture demonstrated how crop-duster spraying over Gaza farmland, as well as spraying conducted on Israel’s side of the border, could drift across due to wind conditions. Since 2014, numerous incidents have been documented by international and Israeli human rights groups in which Israeli aircraft sprayed herbicide mixtures that damaged crops in Gaza, leading to loss of harvests and income for farmers. These operations continued intermittently over subsequent years.
What are the legal implications of Israel’s glyphosate use?
Several legal issues arise from the use of herbicides in ways that may cause transboundary environmental harm through the release of chemical substances without the consent of the affected state. Even if the scale is limited, such use may raise concerns regarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as obligations to prevent transboundary environmental damage.
A comparable dispute was brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by Ecuador, which accused Colombia of aerial herbicide spraying over alleged coca fields. The case concluded with a settlement between the parties and was removed from the Court’s docket. The agreement established a joint oversight commission, and Colombia paid USD 15 million in compensation for affected farming communities.
Deliberate environmental damage during armed conflict is addressed under international humanitarian law, although the threshold for liability is high, requiring damage to be “widespread, long-term and severe.” Given the limited geographic scope described, herbicide use in Lebanon and Syria would be unlikely to meet this threshold. Other relevant provisions include the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Customary IHL Rule 54 on attacking, destroying, removing, or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, derived from the Geneva Conventions’ Additional Protocols and their interpretation. Similarly, UN Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018) addresses links between conflict and food security. While current impacts appear localized, documenting these effects remains important for potential compensation claims related to crop loss and livelihood impacts.
The Lebanese government strongly protested the spraying, with President Aoun describing it as a “health crime” and indicating that Lebanon would take all necessary legal and diplomatic measures to respond.
A history of herbicide use as a weapon
One of the most severe examples of herbicide use occurred during the Vietnam War, when the United States deployed large quantities of defoliants across Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia under the program known as Operation Ranch Hand. Approximately 72 million litres of so-called “Rainbow Herbicides,” including Agent Orange, were sprayed. These substances contained hazardous compounds such as 2,3,7,8-TCDD (tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin), which are highly toxic to humans. Exposure to dioxins has been strongly linked to cancer, skin disorders, neurological effects, reproductive harm, and birth defects.
These defoliants were used to remove forest cover that provided concealment for Viet Cong forces. Estimates of those exposed, including Vietnamese civilians and US military personnel, range between 1.7 and 4.2 million people. The Vietnamese Red Cross reports that approximately 150,000 children have been born with birth defects linked to dioxin exposure, alongside broader long-term health impacts.
Herbicide use in conflict predates this period; British forces deployed similar defoliants during the Malayan Emergency to reduce jungle cover used by insurgents. However, the Vietnam War marked a turning point due to the scale of environmental and health consequences and the impact on US personnel. While the United States did not accept liability for harm to Vietnamese civilians, it invested substantial resources in remediation of contaminated land and health assistance programs, though some support initiatives were later reduced.
Public outrage over severe health and environmental consequences contributed to the decline of highly toxic defoliant use. However, herbicides have continued to be employed in conflict contexts, often involving substances such as glyphosate or mixed formulations perceived to carry lower environmental and public health risks, as seen in reported cases in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Ecuador.
Credits
Many thanks to Samir @Obretix for review and lead geolocations, Sergio OSMsmaprs for additional scripting of Sentinel indexes to trace vegetation change, Dr. He Yin from Kent State University for NDVI analysis and Brian Perlman, research scientist at the Spatial Informatics Group(SIG), an environmental think tank focused on remote sensing and geospatial data, and Corey Scher, Oregon State University and the Decentralised Damage Mapping Group (DDMG)
This article was updated on February 19, 2026 with information on the IDF being responsible for deforestation as reported by France24
