Displaced Gaza farmers struggle to grow crops amid near-total farmland destruction

What happened

Al Jazeera reports devastating destruction of Gaza’s farms, with experts stating Israel has ruined 95 percent of agricultural land, crippling a vital food and income source for the enclave’s population. Displaced farmers are now forced to grow crops on tiny patches of dirt near their tents due to widespread farmland devastation and restricted access.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Agriculture and multiple UN agencies cited, cultivated land has dropped below 15 percent of pre-conflict levels. Destruction includes uprooted trees, damaged wells, and obliterated irrigation systems, severely limiting local production and forcing reliance on food aid as a lifeline. The blockade also blocks farming supplies, further stifling recovery.

Fadel El-Zubi, a UN Food and Agriculture Organization expert, describes the destruction as a deliberate tactic aimed at dismantling Gaza’s food system to create permanent aid dependency rather than collateral damage of warfare. Before the conflict, agriculture formed about 10 percent of Gaza’s economy and supported over half a million people.

Known from the source

• Experts and UN agencies report 94-95 percent destruction of Gaza’s farms.
• Gaza’s Ministry of Agriculture states cultivated areas have fallen to less than 15 percent of pre-conflict capacity.
• Data shows more than 4 million fruit trees uprooted, including 1.6 million olive trees.
• 87 percent of agricultural wells and 85 percent of greenhouses have been damaged or destroyed.
• Annual agricultural production declined from 405,000 tonnes to 28,000 tonnes.

What remains unclear

Data reveals nearly all farmland is destroyed or inaccessible due to military control of surrounding areas, making attempts to farm even extremely limited spaces a form of resilience and resistance among displaced families. However, urgent funding appeals for replenishing seeds, irrigation, and equipment remain underfunded amid shifting global donor priorities.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify casualty claims and destruction percentages from multiple independent sources where possible. Confirm precise attribution of farmland destruction to Israeli military operations and differentiate from conflict byproducts. Cross-check reports of area accessibility and the status of the so-called ‘Yellow Line’ demarcation preventing farmers from reaching fields.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Al Jazeera Gaza. Open the source.