‘Planting to protect our dignity’: Gaza farmers stay minimize off from their land - The Observers

[ad_1] Regardless of the ceasefire signed in October 2025, many Gazans are nonetheless unable to return to their properties and land. Amongst them is our Observer, farmer Amro Abu Rabee, who stays displaced in Deir al-Balah. His farm lies past the “yellow line” in territory nonetheless occupied by the Israeli military, and so to feed his household and protect a way of dignity, he's planting meals crops in no matter area he can discover of their camp.

Our Observer Amro Abu Rabee needed to flee his farm in northern Gaza in March 2025, when Israel ended a two-month-long ceasefire and ordered residents to evacuate. Since then he has been residing in a tent in Deir al-Balah, 20km to the south, and has managed to plant a couple of meals crops for his household within the makeshift camp.

He instructed our group:

“We have misplaced all our farmland. However we're utilizing each centimetre we've right here. We're planting so we are able to eat, and to protect our dignity.

When the Israeli occupation destroyed our properties we have been pressured to flee. Now we have been pressured to reside in these tents that we arrange with our naked fingers. Now we have planted totally different crops: spinach, courgettes, Swiss chard, arugula.”

‘These small areas we plant now barely cowl any of our each day wants’ Nevertheless, these crops usually are not sufficient to deal with the persistent meals insecurity in Gaza, he stated.

“In contrast with the acres of agricultural land that have been bulldozed by the occupation, forcing us to desert them, these small and slender areas we plant now barely cowl any of our each day wants.”

He additionally famous that the price of meals in Gaza stays extraordinarily excessive:

“Though greens and fruit are entering into the Gaza Strip, we've to purchase them on the markets at costs a lot greater than they have been earlier than the warfare. That is why we're planting our personal crops, hoping to develop the greens we'd like ourselves.”

Israeli 'yellow line' blocking farmers' return There's been a brand new ceasefire in place since October 9, however that does not imply Amro and his household can go dwelling. Their farm is situated past the so-called “yellow line”, in territory nonetheless occupied by the Israeli military.

Israeli bombardments destroyed the household's farm initially of the warfare. However Amro had returned together with his brother in 2024. They'd replanted and have been starting to promote their greens once more.

Nevertheless, the farm was hit a number of extra instances by Israeli strikes, one among them hitting and killing his brother Youssef, in October 2024.

Learn extra Gaza's agriculture ravaged by warfare

Amro is now ready to return:

“We have been on this camp for 2 months now. We're surviving with minimal assets. The tents aren't sufficient to guard us from the chilly in winter or the warmth in summer season.

Though a brand new ceasefire has gone into impact, we nonetheless cannot return to our land and our farms, as a result of the Israeli occupation remains to be in our space and targets anybody who tries to get close to.”

60% of Gaza's farmland is situated past the ‘yellow line’ The UN estimated in August that 98.5% of Gaza's farmland was broken or inaccessible. She additionally warned of the chance of famine.

Greater than 60% of Gaza's farmland is at present situated in zones nonetheless occupied by the Israeli military, based on our evaluation primarily based on knowledge from He Yin of Kent State College.

Earlier than the warfare, agriculture accounted for 10% of Gaza's economic system.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu introduced on December 7 that he anticipated the second part of the ceasefire plan for Gaza to start quickly. Later that day, nevertheless, Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant Basic Eyal Zamir, stated that the present demarcation line inside Gaza is a "new border line".