AhlulBayt News Agency: Nearly one million of Gaza’s 1.1 million olive trees have been destroyed by Israeli forces, according to a recent report. The devastation has crippled the region’s olive farming sector.
The Israeli military has bulldozed groves, while others have dried up due to water shortages or remain inaccessible. As reported by Drop Site News, Palestinian farmers are left with little to harvest.
This marks the third consecutive year without a meaningful olive harvest, as military operations continue to target agricultural lands.
On the first day of the olive harvest, violent clashes broke out in Turmus’ayyer village near Ramallah. Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers, injuring several, including a woman who was knocked unconscious. Journalist Jasper Nathaniel reported that Israeli soldiers had directed farmers into an ambush.
Despite a ceasefire declared on October 10, Gaza’s farmers continue to face immense hardship.
Journalist Mohamed Suleiman from Gaza described the collapse of the local olive oil industry after two years of war.
Hajj Suleiman Abdel-Nabi, a 75-year-old farmer from Al-Mawasi, mourned the destruction of his olive farm. He emphasized the severe water crisis, saying, “Water has become more precious than gold.”
Since the war began in October 2023, Gaza’s agriculture has suffered catastrophic damage, with most cropland either destroyed or unreachable.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization reported that 98.5% of Gaza’s cropland is affected, leaving only 1.5% usable.
Agricultural expert Mohammed Abu Odeh warned that farmers are risking their lives to harvest what little remains. He stressed that over 10,000 families rely on the olive harvest, but production costs have soared.
A liter of olive oil now costs around 100 shekels ($30), nearly double last year’s price, making it unaffordable for many.
For Abdel-Nabi, the loss is deeply personal. Once a producer of over 35 gallons of oil annually, he now buys the same olives he used to sell.
“This year, I buy the same olives and oil I once sold,” he said, lamenting the loss of joy that once marked the harvest season.
Despite the devastation, young farmers like 21-year-old Ahmed al-Adini remain committed. His family’s harvest dropped to just 170 kilograms, but they continue to cultivate their land. “For my father, it’s not just oil—it’s identity,” he said.
The ongoing siege has left only a few olive presses functioning—down from over 35 before the war. Rising fuel costs have pushed many farmers to the edge.
Fayyad Fayyad, head of the Palestinian Olive Council, confirmed the scale of destruction: “There is no olive season this year... Nearly one million trees have been destroyed.”
He called for a revival plan to restore Gaza’s olive sector, dependent on ceasefire stability.
Despite overwhelming odds, Gaza’s farmers persist, returning to their groves to salvage what they can.
“The olive tree is the story of Palestine,” Abdel-Nabi concluded. “Even when it burns, it still stands in our hearts.”
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