Published on: 2026-08-18
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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August 18, 2026 Economic Development
Amid ongoing hostilities in Gaza, it is becoming increasingly difficult for farmers to find safe plots of land for growing agricultural crops.
According to satellite image analysis published on Tuesday conducted by FAO together with the UN Satellite Center (UNOSAT), only three percent of Gaza’s agricultural land remains usable today – 448 hectares compared to 601 hectares in October 2025.
“This latest assessment paints a bleak picture of the continuing decline of Gaza’s agricultural sector,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Emergency and Resilience Operations.
“Without urgent measures to restore safe access to lands and provide necessary support to farmers, the opportunities to revive local food production will continue to diminish,” he added.
“Nothing is left”
For farmer Taysir Dahdouh, who grew cucumbers and tomatoes, the war in Gaza, which erupted after Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, resulted in devastating losses.
“Before the war, I had a good income,” he recalls. “Suddenly, we were left with nothing… Even the metal frames of the greenhouses disappeared, just like our houses, belongings, and irrigation pipes. Nothing was left.”
Returning home after being forcibly displaced, Dahduh, together with his family, tried to restore their plot using simple tools. “We managed to restore about one dunam of land, roughly one-tenth of a hectare, and bring it back to life,” he said.
A farmer from Gaza, Wajiha Dahdouh, spoke about her serious problems: “We have returned to provide for ourselves independently, to farm again in order to survive. Unfortunately, there is not enough water, no fertilizers, seeds, and other things without which people cannot continue to live and work.”
Less and less available land
The reduction in the land area available for Gaza farmers to work on is mainly due to lack of access, rather than new damage resulting from the war. Thus, in June 2026, access was maintained to just over four thousand hectares of Gaza agricultural land, or 27 percent of its total area. However, about 3,600 hectares of this area were unsuitable for cultivation.
According to FAO data, the area of available land has decreased most significantly in Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis. The main reason was the westward shift of the so-called Yellow Line, which separates the ceasefire zone from the territory under the military control of the Israel Defense Forces.
The largest share of inaccessible agricultural lands and greenhouses was recorded in Rafah, in southern Gaza – 97.2 percent and 98.4 percent respectively.
“The most extensive physical destruction remains concentrated in the North Gaza and Gaza provinces,” the agency noted. This is confirmed by satellite images.
The situation of the residents of Gaza remains extremely dire. Just this past weekend, UN partners reported numerous airstrikes and shelling, primarily west of the Yellow Line. It is there that most of the sector’s population is concentrated today.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.