The Minister of Agriculture in the caretaker government, Abbas Al Hajj Hassan, condemned Israeli attacks "on our lands, our fields, our sea, and our skies," affirming "the right of all Lebanese to defend our land and our rights that are protected by international charters and the Declaration of Human Rights." He added: "The vast areas bombed by the enemy with phosphorus bombs are daily causing the burning of thousands of ancient trees." He concluded: "Greetings to the farmers of the south, for their steadfastness and resilience have helped the nation triumph, and to every citizen, fighter, or soldier standing on the borders in defense of the nation's sovereignty, and to every child, martyr, woman, and every village in our homeland. Protecting farmers is a priority for us, and we will work in the Cabinet to ensure provisions that are worthy of the steadfast farmers in the south, given the sacrifices that our people are making, and undoubtedly there will be compensation."
Later, Al Hajj Hassan wrote on "X": "Today, the Israeli enemy besieged the olive harvest workers between the towns of Aitaroun and Blida in the Ghosunah area. They were freed through efforts by the United Nations and the Lebanese Army, for which we are grateful, allowing the farmers to return to their families as heroes against an unprecedented historical fascist brutality."
