Unexploded ordnance left behind by Israeli attacks is threatening lives and livelihoods in southern Lebanon, where two people have been killed in recent days as residents attempt to return to their land during the olive harvest.
On Sunday, engineer Hussein Ali Ramadan was killed when an explosive device detonated while he was harvesting olives in his orchard in Froun, in the Bint Jbeil district.
A day later, Edgar Gillo, a warrant officer in Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, was killed by another explosion while working on agricultural land in the border town of Ain Ebel.
The deaths have prompted local municipalities, including Froun and Yater, to warn residents against entering olive groves without consulting the relevant authorities, amid fears of unexploded munitions, cluster bombs and landmines.
Hassan Bazzi, mayor of Froun, told The New Arab that the danger persists even in areas where residents have resumed their normal lives.
"What happened two days ago in our town, when a young engineer from Froun was killed while attempting to harvest olives, is painful evidence of the scale of this danger," he said.
"It confirms that war does not truly end simply because military operations have stopped, as long as these remnants continue to threaten people's lives."
For southern Lebanon's farming communities, avoiding potentially contaminated land can mean sacrificing an already precarious livelihood.
A Froun resident told The New Arab that agriculture remains the principal source of income for many families, who have already suffered enormous losses during Israel's attacks.
"Today, they are trying to return to their land to recover whatever they can, but the risks are considerable," the resident said, citing cluster munitions, continuing Israeli attacks and possible contamination from white phosphorus.
Andrew Moore, the HALO Trust's regional director for the Middle East, North Africa, told The New Arab that extensive bombardment inevitably leaves behind munitions that fail to detonate.
"Any area that has been subject to extensive fighting and bombardment there will always be a certain proportion of the ordnance that fails to function as designed," he said.
Such weapons can include artillery shells, mortar rounds, grenades and tank ammunition. Moore explained that unexploded ordnance generally poses the greatest danger when disturbed, including during agricultural work or reconstruction.
Although the HALO Trust does not currently operate in Lebanon, Moore said its experience in other conflict zones demonstrates the difficult choices facing returning farmers.
"The reality is people will always take risks if their livelihoods depend on them," he said.
"If it's a choice between taking a risk of moving an item of ordnance or not harvesting your crops or planting your crops or whatever it involves, obviously harvesting at this time of year, then too many people do make the choice to harvest the crops."
The Lebanese army has been conducting surveys and controlled detonations of unexploded ordnance in areas affected by Israeli attacks, including Mayfadoun, Shaqra and Baraachit.
However, Lebanese military sources told The New Arab that continuing Israeli attacks have repeatedly obstructed clearance operations, sometimes striking soldiers directly or nearby while they accompanied residents to agricultural land.
The sources said comprehensive assessments remain difficult because of ongoing attacks and Israel's continued presence in parts of southern Lebanon.
Bazzi similarly warned that Froun's eastern outskirts, facing the area known as the Yellow Zone, remain too dangerous for comprehensive surveys.
"Areas that have not undergone field surveys cannot be considered definitively safe," he said, urging residents not to approach or handle suspicious objects.
Moore identified access as the principal obstacle to clearance, followed by the sheer scale of contamination.
"The biggest issue in southern Lebanon is access," he said, adding that the extent of the danger may only become apparent as more residents return.
Hisham Younes, president of the Green Southerners Association environmental NGO said the situation recalled Israel's 2006 war on Lebanon, when cluster munitions severely obstructed the return of displaced communities.
He warned that unexploded weapons also threaten ecosystems and agricultural recovery, alongside potential longer-term contamination from heavy metals and white phosphorus.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said southerners had the right to harvest their olives without fearing for their lives, pledging to prioritise clearance and safe returns.
But with Israeli attacks continuing and large areas still unsurveyed, farmers face the prospect of another harvest overshadowed by the deadly remnants of war.
