Israel Hurls Fireballs at Farmland in Southern Lebanon

Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon have already seriously damaged area farmland, and now it appears the situation is getting worse and less incidental.  Footage shows Israel using a literal trebuchet to launch fireballs across the border at farms, setting serious fires.

Trebuchets are a rotating arm variety of catapult, and were commonly used in the Middle Ages as a weapon for siege warfare. It isn’t clear why Israel’s military has such weapons in this day and age, as they fell out of favor in the 15th century.

Supposedly, the fireballs are being used to clear out the dense vegetation from the border region, as Israeli officials suggest that such areas serve as potential hiding areas for militants, which complicates defense in the area.