In brief
Farmers in the region lament their losses as war wreaks havoc on crops and livelihoods, with many resorting to outdated farming methods.
Farmers in the Gaza Strip, once thriving with crops of eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes, now face devastation after more than a year of war. The conflict has left their farms in ruins, with fields damaged by military operations, equipment destroyed, and numerous farmers tragically killed.In Beit Lahia, a northern Gaza community that thrived on agriculture, Yousef Saqer, a 24-year-old farmer, reflects on the devastation of his land where his greenhouses and irrigation systems stood. "That is all gone now," he shares, commenting on the destruction caused by Israeli military tanks during recent offensives aimed at dismantling Hamas strongholds. "The tanks destroyed all of it."The situation has forced farmers to abandon modern agricultural techniques as they sift through the debris. "We used to use machines and tractors, and now we are back to digging with hoes, forks, and shovels," Saqer laments, indicating a return to pre-industrial farming practices due to the devastation around them.As Israel continues its military operations, farmers like Saqer are left with little hope of rebuilding their once-prosperous enterprises, trapped in a cycle of conflict that not only threatens their lives but also endangers food security in the region.
