Israel has destroyed hundreds of dunams of agricultural land, depriving Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip of agricultural land and resources vital to survival, according to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.
“This destruction is part of a larger Israeli plan that dates back to last October,” Euro-Med said in a report published” on September 26.” Under this plan, Israeli forces have worked to eliminate almost 80% of the agricultural land in the Gaza Strip from use by Palestinians.”
Israel has done this either “by isolating it in preparation for its forcible annexation to the so-called ‘buffer zone’ or by bulldozing or destroying it by other means, such as bombardment—all of which are in violation of international law.”
“This is an expression of Israel’s insistence on committing genocide against Palestinians in the enclave,” the Geneva-based rights group said.
The Euro-Med field team in Gaza said that in the early hours of Tuesday, September 25, Israeli forces stormed the area of Al-Shimaa in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, accompanied by military bulldozers.
They began their bulldozing operations, destroying “more than 500 dunums of newly replanted agricultural land, which was supposed to sustain the needs of the people living in northern Gaza, who are subject to an arbitrary siege and systematic starvation by Israel.”
‘Security Zone’
Yousef Saqr Abu Rabie, a 24-year-old farmer in Beit Lahia, told Euro-Med that even though his land is outside of the “security zone” established by Israel at the start of the war, it was bulldozed.
His now-bulldozed crops had been bearing fruit that the people of northern Gaza were depending on, given Israel’s restrictions on the entry of fruits and vegetables into the northern Gazan markets, said Euro-Med.
Israeli forces have bulldozed or destroyed all agricultural lands along the “security fence” separating the eastern and northern Gaza Strip “at a depth of nearly two kilometres, removing approximately 96 square kilometres” of land.
This, said the rights group, was “in a clear attempt to annex them to its ‘buffer zone’, in violation of international law.”
An Israeli “buffer” road and zone splitting Gaza City through its centre, meanwhile, and the creation of Israel’s Netzarim axis to keep sections of the Strip separate, “have resulted in the destruction of approximately three square kilometres of agricultural lands.”
“Thus, the agricultural lands destroyed by Israel to enable the creation of its ‘buffer’ areas, specifically, represent about 27.5% of the Gaza Strip,” the report said.
Land ‘Off Limits’ to Farmers
It also noted that the Israeli army has worked to destroy almost all buildings and facilities on the vast majority of these lands, which are now within the “buffer zone” and are off-limits to residents and farmers.
“These lands represented the majority of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip and included hundreds of farms built on hundreds of dunams that were planted with vegetables and fruits, as well as hundreds of farms raising poultry and livestock.”
Outside of this “buffer zone”, additional land has also been destroyed by Israeli incursions or aerial and artillery bombardment, resulting in the destruction of at least 34 square kilometres of agricultural land and the streets that service it, said Euro-Med.
“This brings the total percentage of destroyed land in the Gaza Strip to 36.9%, or more than 75% of the Strip’s area designated for agriculture,” the report stated.
In addition to Israel’s destruction of thousands of farms, greenhouses, water wells, tanks, and stores housing agricultural equipment, Euro-Med Monitor field teams recorded “the intentional killing of numerous farmers while these individuals were working or attempting to access their lands.”
Fishermen Killed
Since Israel’s attack on Gaza last October, the Israeli army “has also killed several fishermen and destroyed the majority of fishing boats and fishing ports” in the enclave.
“These actions have negatively impacted the availability of healthy food for over 2.2 million Palestinians living in the Strip, and the repercussions of this are expected to last for years after the withdrawal of the Israeli military.”
Farmers are also finding it difficult or impossible to access areas that have been spared from the Israeli bombing, due to the ongoing bombardment and ground incursions into numerous areas.
“Additionally, the lack of electricity, destruction of water wells, and scarcity of fuel all make it difficult to cultivate new areas and irrigate them with water,” said the report.
This, it added, occurs while aid supplies are being blocked from reaching residents and displaced people in the enclave by Israeli forces.
Soil, Air, Water Quality
The ongoing Israeli military assaults “have detrimental effects” on soil, air, water quality, agricultural land, public health, and the environment.
“These effects compound over time, and at some point, may result in startling increases in the death rate,” the report noted.
The rights group emphasized that the “internationally recognised human right to food, water, and sanitation is a basic right that protects population health and dignity.”
“It can only be realised if the international community puts an end to Israel’s crime of genocide; removes the illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip; and salvages what remains of the besieged enclave, which is currently uninhabitable on all fronts,” Euro-Med stressed.
“Delays will cause the Strip to deteriorate further, cost more civilian lives, and heavily affect people’s health outcomes,” it added.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,534 Palestinians have been killed, and 96,092 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
(The Palestine Chronicle)