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, the territory’s 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.
Gaza’s vibrant agricultural exports before the war
Before the war and the famine conditions imposed by the Israeli military, Gaza had a vibrant subsistence agricultural sector which included the cultivation of strawberries, tomatoes, cucumber and other vegetables.
