‘Planting to preserve our dignity’: Gaza farmers remain cut off from their land
Despite the ceasefire signed in October 2025, many Gazans are still unable to return to their homes and land. Among them is our Observer, farmer Amro Abu Rabee, who remains displaced in Deir al-Balah. His farm lies beyond the “yellow line” in territory still occupied by the Israeli army, and so to feed his family and preserve a sense of dignity, he is planting food crops in whatever space he can find in their camp.
Our Observer Amro Abu Rabee had to flee his farm in northern Gaza in March 2025, when Israel ended a two-month-long ceasefire and ordered residents to evacuate. Since then he has been living in a tent in Deir al-Balah, 20km to the south, and has managed to plant a few food crops for his family in the makeshift camp.
He told our team:
“We've lost all our farmland. But we're using every centimetre we have here. We're planting so we can eat, and to preserve our dignity.
When the Israeli occupation destroyed our homes we were forced to flee. We have been forced to live in these tents that we set up with our bare hands. We have planted different crops: spinach, courgettes, Swiss chard, arugula.”
‘These small spaces we plant now barely cover any of our daily needs’
However, these crops are not enough to address the persistent food insecurity in Gaza, he said.
“Compared with the acres of agricultural land that were bulldozed by the occupation, forcing us to abandon them, these small and narrow spaces we plant now barely cover any of our daily needs.”
He also noted that the cost of food in Gaza remains extremely high:
“Even though vegetables and fruit are getting into the Gaza Strip, we have to buy them at the markets at prices much higher than they were before the war. That's why we are planting our own crops, hoping to grow the vegetables we need ourselves.”
Israeli 'yellow line' blocking farmers' return
There's been a new ceasefire in place since October 9, but that doesn't mean Amro and his family can go home. Their farm is located beyond the so-called “yellow line”, in territory still occupied by the Israeli army.
Israeli bombardments destroyed the family's farm at the beginning of the war. But Amro had returned with his brother in 2024. They had replanted and were beginning to sell their vegetables again.
However, the farm was hit several more times by Israeli strikes, one of them hitting and killing his brother Youssef, in October 2024.
READ MOREGaza's agriculture ravaged by war
Amro is now waiting to go back:
“We've been in this camp for two months now. We're surviving with minimal resources. The tents aren't enough to protect us from the cold in winter or the heat in summer.
Even though a new ceasefire has gone into effect, we still can't return to our land and our farms, because the Israeli occupation is still in our area and targets anyone who tries to get near.”
60% of Gaza's farmland is located beyond the ‘yellow line’
The UN estimated in August that 98.5% of Gaza's farmland was damaged or inaccessible. She also warned of the risk of famine.
More than 60% of Gaza's farmland is currently located in zones still occupied by the Israeli army, according to our analysis based on data from He Yin of Kent State University.
Before the war, agriculture accounted for 10% of Gaza's economy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on December 7 that he expected the second phase of the ceasefire plan for Gaza to begin soon. Later that day, however, Israel’s army chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said that the current demarcation line inside Gaza is a "new border line".
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