"Mohammed and his family spent months clearing rubble from the ground and whatever was left of their greenhouses, which were flattened during the fighting, like many of the buildings in Gaza. With very limited resources, they prepared the soil and planted the first courgette crop, hoping it would be ready to harvest by early spring. But even this limited attempt to bring the family's land back to life is not without risk."
"More than three hectares (7.5 acres) of Mohammed's greenhouses were levelled to the ground. The destruction also included his entire irrigation network, all nine of his wells, two solar power systems, and two desalination plants. Mohammed's losses reflect the wider extent of the damage to the agricultural sector in Gaza. According to a July 2025 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than 80 percent of cropland was damaged, and less than 5 percent remained available for cultivation."
"But even this limited attempt to bring the family's land back to life is not without risk. As Mohammed explains, every time he goes to tend to his field, he is risking his life. A few hundred metres away sit Israeli tanks, and the sound of bullets flying by is common. Before the war, Mohammed's farm produced large quantities of vegetables."
Following a ceasefire, a Gaza farming family returned to clear rubble, repair land, and plant a courgette crop despite limited resources and frequent attacks. Hundreds of metres away, Israeli tanks and the sound of bullets create constant danger for anyone tending fields. Pre-war production and export capacity collapsed after more than three hectares of greenhouses were levelled and irrigation networks, nine wells, solar systems, and desalination plants were destroyed. A July 2025 FAO report found over 80 percent of cropland damaged and under 5 percent available for cultivation, constraining recovery amid expanding buffer zones and heavy military control.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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