Gaza’s Olive Groves Face Massive Losses During Ongoing War
By Staff, Agencies
Nearly one million of Gaza’s 1.1 million olive trees have been destroyed by “Israel,” marking the near-erasure of one of the enclave’s most vital and symbolic lifelines, according to Drop Site News.
The “Israeli” military’s bulldozing campaigns, combined with severe water shortages and restricted access to farmland, have left Gaza’s farmers facing a third consecutive year without a meaningful olive harvest. Once the cornerstone of rural livelihoods, the olive groves are now either flattened, parched, or trapped behind front lines.
On Sunday, violence erupted in the West Bank village of Turmus’ayyer on the first day of the olive harvest, when armed “Israeli” settlers attacked Palestinian farmers under the watch of “Israeli” soldiers. Multiple injuries were reported, including a woman knocked unconscious. Journalist Jasper Nathaniel, who witnessed the assault, said that soldiers had deliberately directed farmers into an ambush.
Despite a fragile “ceasefire” declared on October 10, Gaza’s agricultural devastation continues. Gaza-based journalist Mohamed Suleiman said the war had “obliterated” the olive oil industry, which once sustained thousands of families.
Hajj Suleiman Abdel-Nabi, a 75-year-old farmer from Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, described his despair: “Water has become more precious than gold,” he said, lamenting the collapse of both crops and livelihoods.
Since the onset of “Israel’s” genocidal war in October 2023, nearly all of Gaza’s farmland has been destroyed or rendered inaccessible. A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] confirmed that 98.5 percent of Gaza’s cropland has been affected, leaving only 1.5 percent cultivable.
Agricultural expert Mohammed Abu Odeh warned that many farmers now risk their lives just to retrieve a fraction of what remains. “The olive harvest is central to life in Gaza,” he said. “Over 10,000 families depend on it, but costs have soared beyond reach.”
A liter of olive oil now sells for about 100 shekels [$30]—almost double last year’s price—making it unaffordable for most families. For Abdel-Nabi, who once produced over 35 gallons annually, the loss is both economic and emotional: “This year, I buy the same olives and oil I once sold,” he said. “Our happiest time of year has turned into despair.”
Despite the devastation, younger farmers like 21-year-old Ahmed al-Adini continue to persevere. His family’s yield has plummeted to just 170 kilograms—barely a fraction of pre-war levels. Yet he remains defiant: “For my father, it’s not just oil—it’s identity,” he said, underscoring the olive tree’s place in Palestinian heritage.
The continuing “Israeli” siege has crippled Gaza’s production capacity. Only a handful of olive presses remain functional—down from more than 35 before the war—while fuel prices for processing have surged dramatically.
Fayyad Fayyad, head of the Palestinian Olive Council, summarized the crisis starkly: “There is no olive season this year. We estimate that nearly one million of Gaza’s 1.1 million olive trees have been destroyed.” He called for a comprehensive plan to revive the sector, contingent on the stabilization of the ceasefire.
Yet, amid ruin, Gaza’s farmers persist. Many return to their shattered groves to salvage what remains, holding onto a deep sense of purpose and belonging. As Abdel-Nabi poignantly concluded, “The olive tree is the story of Palestine. Even when it burns, it still stands in our hearts.”
