Gaza farmer revives his family vineyard after years of war devastation

Khaled Abu Madeen, a 50-year-old farmer from Gaza City, resumed his early-morning rounds among the grapevines of Sheikh Ijlin after an almost three-year hiatus caused by the October 2023 war. Initially able to leave for Italy, he chose to remain in Gaza to protect his inherited vineyards and his elderly mother, while his wife and children were evacuated. Following a forced evacuation to Deir el-Balah and a dangerous attempt to inspect the fields that resulted in a worker being shot, he finally returned under an October ceasefire, only to discover that roughly 60% of the vines had been ripped out.

He hired bulldozers and laborers to clear sand and begin rebuilding, a process he estimates will cost at least $40,000 amid strict Israeli limits on agricultural imports. Despite these hurdles, spring brought new growth, and his current harvest reaches about 40% of pre-war levels, providing both economic relief and emotional renewal for a community where locally grown grapes have become scarce and pricey. Khaled likens his bond to the land to a fish’s dependence on water, emphasizing the deep personal and cultural significance of the revived vineyard.