Israeli military actions since October 2023 have destroyed approximately 95% of Gaza’s farmland, leaving displaced farmers struggling to survive. Once-fertile areas such as the Sheikh Ijlin neighborhood in Gaza City have been reduced to barren wastelands due to extensive bulldozing and ongoing conflict. Many displaced Palestinians are now cultivating small plots of dirt near their tents to grow essential crops like tomatoes, eggplants, and molokhia greens to sustain their families. The destruction of irrigation systems, farmland, and infrastructure has drastically reduced agricultural productivity to less than 15% of pre-war levels. Experts argue that this devastation is not accidental but part of a deliberate strategy aimed at undermining Gaza’s food system, forcing reliance on foreign aid, and creating long-term economic dependency.
Bias read (Progressive): The article presents the destruction of Gaza’s farmland as a deliberate act of warfare aimed at creating dependency and starving the population, using strong terms like 'genocidal war' and 'engineered starvation.' It emphasizes the systemic nature of the destruction and frames it as a targeted and,
