News / IN-DEPTH / Palestine / Editor's Choice

Under 5% of Gaza's cropland cultivable due to Israeli attacks

Wednesday, 28 May 2025 11:05 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 28 May 2025 11:05 AM ]

Before the start of the conflict, agriculture accounted for approximately 10 percent of Gaza’s economy. (Photo by FAO)

A recent geospatial assessment by two United Nations bodies has shed light on the impact of Israel's war on agriculture and food security in Gaza.

The assessment by the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, and the Geneva-based UN Satellite Center, UNOSAT, says the destruction of agricultural infrastructure in Gaza is further deteriorating food production capacity and exacerbating the risk of famine.

Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure deteriorating at alarming rate

UN warns Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure deteriorating at alarming rate

Less than five percent of Gaza’s cropland area remains available for cultivation.

In a news release, FAO warned that less than 5% of Gaza's cropland can be cultivated; as of April 2025, more than 80% of the total cropland area has been damaged by Israeli attacks.

The entire population of Gaza is facing the risk of famine. Families are being starved and denied the very basics, all with the world watching in real time, Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law.

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General

Israel has blocked aid entry into Gaza since March, and recently proposed a plan to deliver supplies to the territory.

No aid reached Gazans despite Israel’s claim of allowing trucks to enter: UN

No aid reached Gazans despite Israel’s claim of allowing trucks to enter: UN

The UN says no assistance has actually reached Palestinians yet although Israel claimed it had allowed aid trucks into the Gaza Strip.

The United Nations, however, has rejected the plan as a cynical side show and a deliberate destruction that makes aid conditional on political and military aims. It says the Israeli proposed plan also makes starvation a bargaining chip, which will cause further violence and displacement.

In its latest assessment, the FAO warns that the entire population of Gaza, approximately 2.1 million people, is facing a critical risk of famine following 19 months of a brutal military campaign, mass displacement and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid.

Israel’s claim of allowing aid into Gaza a cover for ‘starvation and genocide’

Israel’s claim of allowing aid into Gaza a cover for ‘starvation and genocide’

Israel has blocked all shipments of humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies.

International law experts are saying that the Israeli regime is using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in the occupied Gaza Strip, which is a war crime.

It's beyond any doubt that Israeli attacks on Gaza's lands and wells are part of a precise military strategy that aims to displace Gazans and force them to leave their homeland. These are not just war crimes, but also parts of Israel's genocidal operation, which aims to exterminate and deport the Gazans and occupy their land under the false pretext of security. How can the international community still be fooled by such suspicious arguments?

Michela Arricale, International Human Rights Lawyer

On Monday, the head of a US-backed private humanitarian foundation tasked with distributing aid in Gaza under the Israeli proposed plan resigned.

Jake Wood said his foundation would be unable to operate independently and fulfill its mission in a way that adhered to humanitarian principles.