Israeli bulldozing leaves Gaza's olive harvest reduced to a fraction

Before the conflict, Gaza’s olive sector supplied the region with thousands of tons of fruit and oil, supporting families and modest exports. A year after the ceasefire, Israeli troops have sealed off two-thirds of the territory and bulldozed most remaining groves, as described by 60-year-old farmer Haidar Abu Middain, whose family’s 900-acre orchard now yields only two drums of oil. Agriculture officials say only about 150,000 of the 2 million olive trees survive, reducing the projected harvest to around 5,000 tons and oil output to 700 tons, far below the usual 5,000-ton output.

Presses have dropped from about 40 to just seven operating units, and the few that remain struggle to meet demand, pushing the price of a 16-litre drum to roughly $500, out of reach for most residents. Market stalls are nearly empty, and shoppers like Imad al-Ajrami report that fresh oil is scarce and prohibitively expensive.