Small farms give Gaza families a foothold after widespread agricultural ruin

Mohammad al-Halabi, a 50-year-old farmer displaced from his 40,000-square-metre farm in Jabalia, now works a 300-square-metre plot in Nuseirat refugee camp, growing tomatoes, eggplants and other vegetables for his household. The Gaza Ministry of Agriculture, citing government media data, says more than 87 % of agricultural land, wells, and greenhouses have been destroyed, dropping annual produce from roughly 524,000 tonnes to about 20,000 tonnes.

Director-general Naser Deeb warned that soil, water and equipment must be restored before farms can operate again. In a parallel effort, Mohammad al-Jadba, 40, rented land in Deir el-Balah after his own fields became inaccessible beyond the “Yellow Line.” With a grant from a Belgian development fund, he built a greenhouse and now earns around 3,000 shekels monthly, employing two previously jobless farmers. Both men view these small-scale projects as vital steps toward regaining livelihoods amid Gaza’s devastated agricultural sector.