The Gaza Strip – As soon as the “ceasefire” began in Gaza in October, Palestinian farmer Mohammed al-Slakhy and his family headed straight to their farms in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City.
After more than two years of Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza – and despite continued Israeli attacks – it was finally safe enough to return and attempt to rebuild and restore.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
Mohammed and his family spent months clearing debris from the ground and what was left of their greenhouses, which were torn down during the fighting, like many of the buildings in Gaza.
With very limited resources, they prepared the soil and planted the first crop of zucchini, hoping it would be ready to harvest in early spring.
But even this limited attempt to bring life back to the family’s land is not without risk. As Mohammed explains, every time he goes to tend his field, he risks his life. A few hundred meters away are Israeli tanks and the sound of flying bullets is common.
Before the war, Mohammed’s farm produced large quantities of vegetables.
“I learned farming from my father and grandfather,” he told Al Jazeera. “Our farm used to produce abundant, high-quality crops for the local market and for export to the [occupied] West Bank and abroad. Now, everything we had has been destroyed in the war.”
Level to the ground
More than three hectares (7.5 acres) of Mohammed’s greenhouses were razed. The destruction also included its entire irrigation network, its nine wells, two solar energy systems and two desalination plants.
Mohammed’s losses reflect the broader magnitude of damage to the agricultural sector in Gaza. According to a July 2025 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), more than 80 percent of cropland was damaged and less than 5 percent was left available for cultivation.
And even with the “ceasefire,” losses have not stopped for Gaza farmers, as Israel expands the so-called buffer zone, within which its forces are located.
In fact, many Palestinians fear that Gaza’s agricultural lands will be forcibly taken over by Israel if the buffer zone becomes a permanent feature. Plans released as part of US President Donald Trump’s “Peace Board” plan for Gaza show that many agricultural areas have been erased.
Expansion of buffer zones
Israel still controls about 58 percent of the Gaza Strip, calling it a security zone in the east, north and south of the Gaza Strip. Most of that buffer zone is Palestinian agricultural land.
Mohammed has only been able to return to one hectare (2.5 acres) of the more than 22 hectares (54 acres) of farmland his family had farmed in Gaza City before the war. The other 21 hectares are within the Israeli buffer zone and cannot be accessed.
The lonely hectare is only about 200 meters (650 feet) from the “yellow line,” which marks the border between the buffer zone and the rest of Gaza. Mohammed says Israeli tanks frequently approach and fire at random.
One such incident occurred on February 12, when Israeli tanks advanced toward Salah al-Din Street and opened fire. Two Palestinians were killed and at least four others were injured. Mohammed was on his farmland, near the Israeli tanks.
“We were working in the field when suddenly a tank approached and opened fire on us. I had to take shelter behind a destroyed building and waited there for more than an hour and a half before I was able to escape to the west,” Mohammed said.
The dangers to Mohammed’s farm are reflected in central Gaza, where Eid al-Taaban, 75, is increasingly worried.
Their land in Deir el-Balah is only about 300 meters (980 feet) from the yellow line and Israeli control areas.
“We planted eggplants in an open field after the ceasefire. Now, we cannot go there and harvest because of the expansion of the buffer zone,” Eid told Al Jazeera.
“The sounds of Israeli heavy machine guns can be heard every day in our area. Every time my children go to water the crops in the greenhouses, I just pray that they come back alive,” he added.
On February 6, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the Israeli army killed Palestinian farmer Khaled Baraka while working on his land in eastern Deir el-Balah. Khaled was Eid’s neighbor and friend.
“Khaled Baraka was a great farmer,” Eid said. “He dedicated his life to cultivating his land and teaching his sons and daughters about agriculture.”
Israeli blockade
According to Palestinian farmers, the Israeli blockade of Gaza is one of the biggest challenges they face in their efforts to reclaim agricultural land.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has largely prevented the entry of any agricultural equipment or supplies, such as seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation networks or tractors.
This has caused huge shortages, and what is available may still be damaged by bombing or, in the case of seeds, pesticides and fertilizers, be close to expiry. Prices for what little is available have also skyrocketed due to Israeli restrictions.
And even when materials can be obtained, they do not guarantee a return.
Eid said he had planted tomatoes in his greenhouses for spring harvest, paying an exorbitant amount to purchase seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.
After 90 days of expensive plant care, and when it was time to start harvesting, the entire crop was ruined because the pesticides and fertilizers he had purchased proved ineffective. He was forced to replant the crop.
Market difficulties
Eid noted that current economic conditions in Gaza mean it is difficult to find customers for the product.
“Even when we manage to keep the plants alive and harvest the crop, we don’t know if we will be able to sell it,” Eid said.
Market instability in Gaza is causing huge losses for local farmers.
Waleed Miqdad, a wholesaler of agricultural products, explained that Israeli authorities sometimes close crossings and other times flood the market with various products, causing significant losses to Palestinian farmers.
He added that Israeli products tend to be of lower quality and have cheaper prices.
“Our local products, although much less numerous than before the war, still have a distinctive quality and taste. Many of our customers prefer local products,” Waleed told Al Jazeera.
But many residents of Gaza, whose economy has been devastated as a result of the war, do not have the money to afford higher-priced items.
Therefore, competition from Israeli products makes it difficult for Palestinian farmers to market their products and make a profit.
“I have recently been forced to sell large quantities of my products for less than the cost of production due to competition from imported products that are widely available on the market,” said Mohammed, the farmer from northern Gaza. “I had to sell and lose or watch my products rot. And of course, we have not received any compensation or support.”
Despite the challenges Gaza farmers face, they remain determined to reclaim agricultural fields across the Gaza Strip. These areas have always been loved by Palestinians in Gaza, where the majority had lived in the built-up cities. The farms provided a respite from Israel’s control over the territory and its constant wars.
“Agriculture is our life and our livelihood,” Mohammed said. “It is an important part of our Palestinian identity. Despite the destruction and danger, we will remain firm on our land and will replant all the land we can reach. Our children will continue behind us.”
For Eid, farming is a continuation of the work of his ancestors, in cities now in Israel and where he will never set foot.
“I’m 75 years old and I still work in the fields every day,” Eid said. “My grandfather was a farmer in our hometown of Beersheba before the [1948] Nakba.”
“He taught my father, my father taught me and today I am passing on my agricultural knowledge to my grandchildren,” Eid added. “The love for the land and agriculture is passed down from generation to generation in our family and can never be taken away from us.”
