Study OAS · 01 May 2026

Lebanon Accuses Israel of Ecocide

What’s the News?

Lebanon has formally accused Israel of committing "ecocide" due to the profound and long-term environmental damage inflicted during military operations between 2023 and 2024.
This accusation, made by Lebanon's Environment Minister, is based on a detailed report highlighting the "severe, widespread, or long-term damage" to the country's ecosystems.
This development occurs amid a growing international push, led by Pacific Island nations and supported by several European countries, to recognize ecocide as a standalone international crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

What is Ecocide?
- The term refers to the most extreme forms of environmental destruction caused by human action. It is defined as "unlawful or wanton acts committed with the knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts".
- The concept was coined in 1970 by biologist Arthur W. Galston to describe the ecological devastation caused by the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
Ecocide vs. Existing International Law
- Anthropocentric vs. Ecocentric: Current laws are anthropocentric, viewing environmental damage as collateral to human harm. Ecocide is eco-centric, recognizing the environment itself as a victim worthy of direct protection.
- Peacetime Application: A key distinction is that ecocide would apply during both war and peace. Currently, the ICC can only prosecute environmental damage as a war crime if it occurs during active conflict and is disproportionate.
- Criminal vs. Civil Liability: Traditional international law treats cross-border environmental harm as a civil tort between states. The ecocide movement seeks to establish individual criminal liability for perpetrators.

The Accusation: Lebanon's Environment Minister Tamara el Zein stated that the "scale and intentionality of the damage... constitute what must be recognised as an act of ecocide" in the foreword to a 106-page government report.
Key Data on Environmental Damage: The report, covering military operations from October 2023 to December 2024, documented extensive harm:
- Forest Cover: Damage to 5,000 hectares of forest.
- Agriculture: Destruction of $118 million in physical agriculture assets and $586 million in lost agricultural production. A total of 2,154 hectares of orchards (including 814 hectares of olive groves) were destroyed.
- Soil & Air Contamination: Soils were found with phosphorus concentrations up to 1,858 parts per million. Widespread air pollution included toxic compounds like dioxins.
- Total Cost: The monetary cost is estimated at $25 billion for damages, economic losses, and recovery needs.
Broader Context: Critics argue this mirrors actions in Gaza, where an estimated 38-48% of tree cover and farmland was destroyed, and groundwater was contaminated by munitions.

Limitations of the Rome Statute: The ICC can only prosecute environmental damage as a war crime under a narrow set of conditions, requiring proof of disproportionate and intentional harm during an active war. Major peacetime ecological destruction currently has no pathway for international criminal prosecution.
Jurisdictional Hurdles: The ICC cannot prosecute states that are not parties to the Rome Statute, such as Israel and Lebanon, unless there is a UN Security Council referral, which is subject to political vetoes.
Supermajority Requirement: Amending the Rome Statute to include ecocide as a fifth international crime (alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression) requires a two-thirds majority vote from all member states.
Momentum for Change: In a significant step, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa have formally proposed that the ICC recognize ecocide as an international crime. The Stop Ecocide International panel proposed a legal definition in 2021 to aid its inclusion in the Rome Statute.

Not a Party to the ICC: India has neither signed nor ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Therefore, it is not a party to the court's jurisdiction.
Domestic Legal Status: The term 'ecocide' has been referenced in some Indian court judgments, but it has not been formally incorporated into Indian law.
Policy Approach: India supports environmental protection through its participation in global agreements like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, it has not taken concrete steps to enact a standalone ecocide law.

Historical Context
- Vietnam War (1970): The term 'ecocide' was coined to describe the use of Agent Orange, which destroyed rainforests and caused long-term health defects.
- First Codification (1990): Vietnam became the first country to codify ecocide in its domestic law following its experience with wartime herbicides.
Key Organizations
- Stop Ecocide International: A leading global advocacy network working to make ecocide an international crime.
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Recognized the crime of ecocide in 2025 but cannot enforce it.
- Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS): An organization that studies the environmental impact of war and supports accountability.
Related International Frameworks
- Rome Statute of the ICC: The treaty that established the International Criminal Court. It currently lists four core international crimes.
- ENMOD Convention (1977): The Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques prohibits the hostile use of environmental modification.
- Article 8(2)(b)(iv): The specific provision of the Rome Statute that criminalizes intentional attacks that cause "widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment" during warfare.