Lebanese beekeepers turn to satellite images to track hives stranded under Israeli occupation

Lebanese beekeepers unable to reach their hives because of Israeli attacks and occupation are purchasing satellite images to determine what remains of the colonies they left behind along the country’s southern border.

Thousands of people have abandoned their homes and farmland in southern Lebanon since Israel began its attacks on March 2, 2026.

Access was further restricted in April when the Israeli army declared the area south of the Litani River to the border a “security buffer zone” known as the “yellow line.”

The restrictions have also devastated beekeepers, who have been unable to tend to the hundreds of hives that are their primary source of income.

Satellite images offer only glimpse of abandoned hives

Beekeepers from the town of Shebaa in Nabatieh governorate told Anadolu that commercially obtained satellite images were now their only means of checking whether their hives were still standing.

The images, however, cannot reveal whether the colonies are still alive or whether the hives are still usable.

Seven beekeepers from Shebaa have left about 390 hives in Hamoul, an Israeli-occupied area in southwestern Lebanon. They are asking Lebanese authorities to establish a mechanism allowing them to enter the area, assess and document their losses and eventually resume production.

Shebaa village head Hasan Ali Zahra said Israeli attacks had paralyzed an industry supporting dozens of families.

Beekeeping in the area requires hives to be moved seasonally between mountainous regions and the coast, he said. The attacks halted that movement, leaving the hives stranded in coastal valleys.

“Today, we are forced to purchase satellite images just to find out whether our hives are still there or whether they were destroyed in the fires,” Zahra said.

Hundreds of hives once stood throughout the border region stretching from Shebaa to Naqoura, but the area has become inaccessible because of the Israeli attacks, he added.

Intact hives may hide dead colonies

Farmer Youssef Atwi said leaving beehives without water or maintenance for months during the summer would almost certainly kill the bees.

Although the hives appear to remain in place in satellite images, many could already be empty because their colonies have died, he said.

Beekeeper Hassan Zahra said he had moved around 40 hives to the Hamoul area near Naqoura so the bees could benefit from winter pastures.

He said the beekeepers had been unable to enter the area since the attacks began.

“We contacted the official authorities and relevant security agencies and requested permission to remove our hives, even if they were empty, but we received no approval,” he said.

The beekeepers shared the cost of purchasing the satellite images, but Zahra said they still could not determine whether the bees inside the hives were alive.

“Even if a hive appears intact from the outside, the lack of maintenance and water, as well as the spread of pests and hornets, could cause the colonies to be completely wiped out,” he said.

Industry faces mounting losses despite ceasefire framework

Khodr Hassan, a member of the local agricultural cooperative, said much of the region’s beekeeping infrastructure had been damaged since late 2023 by Israeli attacks and the destruction of farmland.

Hassan said he lost around 70 hives on his land in the Burqat al-Nakkar area, while another property holding 140 hives was completely destroyed.

Attempts to move the remaining hives to Kfar, Hasbaya and later Naqoura were also thwarted by the security situation, he added.

Hassan estimated direct damage to the apiaries and related infrastructure at more than $200,000 and urged the Lebanese government to reopen roads so landowners could inspect and document their losses.

Despite ceasefires announced between Israel and Hezbollah in recent months and a US-brokered framework agreement signed between Beirut and Tel Aviv on June 26, Israel has continued attacks, demolitions and ground operations in Lebanon.