Palestinian Official Accuses Israel of Spraying Chemicals on Gaza
Israeli authorities have reportedly deployed herbicides along the border with the Gaza Strip, provoking the ire of the Palestinian administration.
Nizar al-Wahedi, an official from the Palestinian Agriculture Ministry, said that an Israeli aircraft was recently spotted spraying herbicides along the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, the Anadolu Agency reports.
"These chemicals cause damage to agricultural crops and harm farmlands," the official said, insisting that "Israel has no right to spray herbicides on Palestinian farmlands."
He noted however that his agency does not know the exact composition of chemicals sprayed by the Israeli plane.
At the same time, an Israeli NGO called Gishna claimed that the spraying was conducted in order to get rid of “unneeded grass” along the border with the Gaza Strip.
Earlier a 59-year-old Palestinian farmer had been shot dead by Israeli soldiers near the border with Gaza Strip. A source in the Gaza medical services told Sputnik that the man was simply working on his land when he was killed, while the Israeli side claimed that the farmer allegedly approached the restricted area along the border while ignoring repeated warnings.
Tensions on the border between Israel and Palestine flared up after US President Donald Trump's December decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and relocate the US embassy to the city from Tel Aviv, with clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli forces and citizens taking place on an almost daily basis since the announcement.
- Source : Sputnik
