Noha Al-Sharif, media officer for the Palestinian Agricultural Relief, explained that the agricultural system in Gaza is suffering from near-total paralysis following the Israeli war, which targeted the Strip for over two years, leading to the destruction of vast areas of land and farms. She noted that the agricultural sector has been transformed from a productive sector contributing to self-sufficiency to one entirely dependent on limited external aid. In a statement to Al-Ittihad newspaper, Al-Sharif confirmed that the damage to agricultural areas has reached more than 95%, according to field estimates. She pointed out that this destruction was not random, but rather targeted productive assets that Palestinian farmers had worked with for decades, resulting in a complete paralysis of the agricultural sector’s ability to meet the basic needs of the population.
She pointed out that 94% of farmers have completely lost their primary source of income due to the halt in production and the destruction of crops, making a return to the agricultural cycle virtually impossible without external relief intervention. She noted that the war destroyed irrigation networks and imposed movement restrictions, leading to an exorbitant increase in costs, particularly for agricultural inputs available on the black market. She emphasized that the lack of fuel needed to operate water pumps is one of the most significant challenges currently facing the agricultural sector in Gaza. Regarding the impact of seed and pesticide shortages on agricultural production, the Palestinian official stated, “The shortage of seeds and pesticides has led to a decrease in cultivated areas by more than 70 to 80% in some seasons, and the use of unimproved seeds or non-specialized pesticides has resulted in a decline in crop quality.” She also noted instances of agricultural land being converted into shelters for displaced persons or temporary camps due to the dire need for housing, stressing that this leads to the permanent loss of arable land.
