Gaza agricultural livelihood reconstruction

Following the 2023–24 conflict, agricultural workers in the Gaza Strip are attempting to rebuild their livelihoods through small-scale farming and specialized trades.

Beekeeping efforts have seen a significant decline, with honey output dropping to approximately 10% of pre-war levels. Ibrahim al-Dabba, president of the Gaza Beekeepers’ Cooperative Society, reported losing over 400 hives and equipment, with financial losses exceeding $350,000. In the post-ceasefire period, some beekeepers have begun rebuilding, though military demarcation lines have forced some to place hives on rooftops of damaged buildings rather than in traditional agricultural areas.

Similarly, displaced farmers are turning to small plots to maintain their professions. In the Nuseirat refugee camp, farmers are tending to limited quantities of seedlings, such as tomatoes and eggplants, to provide for their families. This follows the destruction of larger farmlands, including areas in Jabalia that were bulldozed by Israeli forces, leaving much of the land covered in rubble and requiring extensive rehabilitation before it can be used for commercial agriculture again.