How Israel destroyed Gaza's ability to feed itself

At the start of summer, Gaza's fields are usually bursting with ripening crops and fruits of all colours, scents and sizes.

But, nearly nine months into Israel’s war on Gaza, abundant harvests have given way to devastation and a dire humanitarian crisis.

A UN report says 96 percent of Gaza’s population is food insecure and one in five Palestinians, or about 495,000 people, is facing starvation.

Satellite images analysed by Al Jazeera's digital investigation team, Sanad show that more than half (60 percent) of Gaza's farmland, crucial for feeding the war-ravaged territory’s hungry population, has been damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks.

Israel has killed at least 37,900 people and injured 87,000 others in bombings, by destroying healthcare that could have saved them, and by starvation.

North to south, nowhere and nobody has been spared.

North Gaza

In Beit Lahiya, once known for plump, juicy strawberries that locals fondly called "red gold", Israeli bulldozers and heavy machinery have systematically razed fields, reducing them to dirt.

Before the war, Gaza's strawberry industry employed thousands of people. Seeding and planting began in September, with harvesting from December through March.

Before and after satellite images show vehicle tracks over the once-fertile regions of Beit Lahiya.

Defying Israel’s ongoing attacks, farmers like Youssef Abu Rabieh figured out ways to grow food between bombed-out buildings - makeshift gardens of repurposed containers.

Gaza City

Thriving garden patches and back-yard fruit trees once dotted Gaza City, home to about a third (750,000) of Gaza’s 2.3 million population before the war.

South of Gaza City is Zeitoun, a neighbourhood named after the Arabic word for olive. Before and after satellite images show southern Zeitoun where nearly every last bit of greenery has been wiped out.

The olive tree is deeply beloved in Palestine, symbolic of Palestinian resilience against Israeli occupation.

During one short pause in fighting from November 22 to December 1, Palestinian farmers ran to harvest their olives and extract oil, because they do not know any other way to live, and because they needed the harvest.

Olive cultivation is crucial in the Palestinian economy and is used for everything from oil to table olives to soap.

Deir el-Balah

Its very name meaning "House of Dates", the central governorate of Deir el-Balah is one of Gaza’s largest agricultural producers, known for its oranges, olives and - of course - dates.

The date harvest typically begins in late September and continues through the end of October.

The satellite images below show the widespread destruction of farms, roads and homes in eastern Maghazi in the centre of Deir el-Balah.

Khan Younis

Khan Younis in the south used to produce the bulk of Gaza’s citrus, including oranges and grapefruits.

With its fertile soil and long hours of Mediterranean sunshine, it has the ideal climate as well as lots of space, being Gaza’s largest governorate - about 30 percent of the Strip’s 365sq km (141 sq miles).

The satellite images below show how Israeli forces have decimated Khan Younis’s orchards and farmlands.

Rafah

Rafah is Gaza’s southernmost district, with a pre-war population of about 275,000 people.

Rafah is also the name of the crossing with Egypt which used to be a vital link between Gaza and the rest of the world before it was destroyed by Israel in May.

In the southeast of Rafah is the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing where goods grown or produced in Gaza were shipped out of the territory.

Before and after satellite imagery shows how Israeli forces have flattened vital fields in eastern Rafah

Israel has imposed a land, air and sea blockade on Gaza since 2007 but the ingenious farmers of the enclave still managed to build a vibrant, mostly subsistence, agricultural sector before Israel's latest assault.

Faced with a lack of inputs because Israel controlled imports and exports, the farmers made it work anyway.

Like Mohammed Abu Ziyada, 30, who could not be more proud of the first crop of red corn he grew using seeds from China.

Abu Ziada, who farms in Beit Lahiya, decided to try red corn because it needs less water and fewer agricultural inputs than other corn varieties.

In 2022, Gaza's farmers exported $44.6m worth of produce, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture [PDF], but Israeli restrictions limited sales to a few neighbouring countries.

The vast majority of this produce (79 percent) was sold to the occupied West Bank, generating about $35.4m, followed by $8.4m to Israel (19 percent), $661,975 to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the remaining $138,868 to neighbouring Jordan.

Among Gaza’s exports in 2022 by trade value, one-third of them (32 percent) were strawberries, 28 percent tomatoes and 15 percent cucumbers.

Other exports include: eggplants (9 percent), sweet peppers (6 percent), zucchini (3 percent), chillies (2.5 percent), potatoes (1 percent) and sweet potatoes (0.5 percent).

Gaza’s 4,000 fishermen played a crucial role in Palestinian food security, supplying essential animal protein through the seafood with the catches they managed within the 12 nautical miles (22km) permitted by Israel.

In 2021, Gaza produced about 4,700 tonnes of fish according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Since October 7, many fishermen have been unable to access the sea, while others risk their lives to bring food in, severely impacting Gaza's ability to feed itself.

The satellite images below show the extensive damage to Gaza’s main fishing port in Gaza City where almost all boats have been destroyed, along with significant damage to the road along the main pier.

In February, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) assessed the agricultural and livestock damage across Gaza.

They found significant damage to:

• 626 wells
• 307 home barns
• 235 chicken farms
• 203 sheep farms
• 119 animal shelters

In addition, they estimated that 27 percent - 339 out of 1,277 hectares (3,156 acres) - of Gaza’s greenhouses were damaged by Israel’s assault.

Experts say military hardware and bombs have damaged Gaza's fertile soil for many years.

“There will be years of destruction because of the material used in the explosives and phosphorus bombs used there, this will affect the land and water in the long term,” agricultural consultant Saad Dagher told Al Jazeera.