UN: 97% Gaza Farmland Damaged in Israeli Attacks

A joint study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UNOSAT found that roughly 97% of the cropland in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed by Israeli military actions, leaving only 3% of it arable or accessible to Palestinian farmers. Since October 2025, there has been a more than 25% decrease in cultivated land. The ‘Yellow Line’, a restricted military zone that now isolates about 55% of Gaza under direct Israeli control, is largely the reason for this sudden decline. It systematically denies farmers access to their fields and seriously damages vital greenhouse infrastructure, especially throughout the Deir al-Balah governorate.

The statistics, according to Rein Paulsen, Director of the FAO Office of Emergencies and Resilience, show that Gaza’s agricultural economy is steadily declining. “Severely restricted land access is crippling food production—even across areas where agricultural resources remain largely intact,” stated Mr. Paulsen. Severe shortages of seeds, fertiliser, fuel, and veterinary supplies continue to hamper local recovery efforts. These shortages are made worse by stringent distribution limitations, which leave markets with inferior, unaffordable inputs that regular farming families cannot buy.

Local food production has collapsed catastrophically as a result of the extensive loss of farms, water wells, and irrigation systems, driving agricultural communities toward complete financial collapse. The FAO urgently appeals for prompt steps to prevent future humanitarian catastrophe, including allowing farmers safe and unimpeded access to their farms, removing limitations on essential agricultural imports, and starting extensive farmland restoration.