In brief
Gaza's farmers lament years of hard work lost to war, with once-thriving farms now destroyed by conflict.
Despite their efforts to cultivate the land, farmers in the Gaza Strip are grappling with relentless devastation caused by ongoing conflict. Once flourishing with crops such as eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes, farmlands have been severely damaged, machinery destroyed, and farmers have even lost their lives in the turmoil. In Beit Lahia, a once fertile region, Yousef Saqer, a 24-year-old farmer, mourns the loss of his greenhouses and irrigation systems, saying, “The tanks destroyed all of it.” He chronicles the shift from modern machinery to manual labor, recalling how they now rely on traditional farming tools like hoes and shovels to tend to what remains. As military operations intensify, particularly in regions noted for Hamas activity, the plight of farmers grows increasingly dire. With their fields ravaged, their livelihoods are in jeopardy, leaving many to face a future filled with uncertainty and loss amidst the backdrop of an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
