As the war in Gaza continues, farmers face devastating losses, forcing them to abandon modern farming methods for traditional practices amid destruction.### Summary:Over a year of conflict in the Gaza Strip has left agricultural lands devastated, machinery destroyed, and many farmers dead, significantly impacting the region's ability to sustain itself.The Gaza Strip, once known for its thriving agriculture producing crops like eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers, now bears the scars of an extended conflict that has decimated its farming community. According to reports, years of warfare have led to devastating losses for farmers, who are now left with ruined fields, obliterated equipment, and in many harrowing cases, the death of comrades.In Beit Lahia, a once-fertile area in northern Gaza, Yousef Saqer, a 24-year-old farmer, lamented the destruction of his greenhouses and irrigation systems. “All that is gone now,” he revealed, reflecting on the aftermath of yet another military offensive targeting Hamas in the region. The operations have left the land disfigured and unworkable, with military machinery wreaking havoc on farmland.As the conflict rages on, farmers have been forced to revert to outdated methods of agriculture, often relying on simple tools such as hoes and shovels instead of modern tractors and machines. “We used to use machines and tractors and now we are back to digging with hoes, forks, and shovels,” Saqer noted sadly. The return to traditional farming practices highlights the extent of damage inflicted by ongoing hostilities, stripping away not just crops but the means to cultivate them.The destruction is not just infrastructural but extends to local livelihoods, as many farmers have also lost their lives amidst the violence. As conflict persists, the future of agriculture in Gaza hangs by a thread, leaving many to wonder how they will continue to sustain themselves and their families in a region already under immense pressure.
Title:
Gaza's Agriculture in Ruins Amid Ongoing Conflict
By Liam Stack and Abu Bakr BashirSource: nytimes.com1 min read




