The olive harvest in Gaza has suffered a catastrophic decline for the third consecutive year, exacerbated by two years of brutal genocidal war that have left both the population and the environment in ruins. Once a symbol of resilience and cultural heritage, the olive tree now stands as a stark reminder of the systematic destruction wrought upon Gaza's agricultural landscape.

Before the onset of the genocidal war, Gaza boasted approximately 2 million olive trees across 50,000 dunums of land. Today, only 150,000 trees remain, cultivated on a mere 4,500 dunums, with a productive area reduced to just 4,000 dunums. Olive production has plummeted from 40,000 tons to a mere 3,000 tons, with self-sufficiency in olive oil now at 0%. The number of operational olive presses has dwindled from 40 to just 6, and only 3 pickling factories remain functional, all operating under severe conditions of power outages and fuel shortages.

The destruction of olive groves has been widespread, particularly in the eastern parts of Gaza. Farmers like Mr. Hussein Nasr have lost entire fields to bulldozing, with his 20 dunums of land, including valuable olive trees, reduced to rubble. The lack of essential resources such as fertilizers and irrigation water, compounded by the ongoing genocidal war, has rendered the remaining trees unproductive. Additionally, the Israeli military has uprooted thousands of olive trees in the West Bank, further exacerbating the crisis and highlighting the broader pattern of agricultural destruction.

The impact on Gaza's agricultural workforce has been equally devastating. The number of agricultural workers has plummeted from around 27,000 to just 2,600, with a significant decline in the participation of women in the sector. This decline is attributed to targeted attacks on farmers, lack of job opportunities, and the inability to access and care for lands due to the ongoing genocidal war. The Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza has reported that the destruction of olive farms, combined with the lack of basic agricultural supplies, has led to a near-total collapse of the olive sector.

The olive tree, once a cornerstone of Gaza's economy and cultural identity, now lies in ruins, its legacy threatened by the relentless forces of occupation and war. The international community's response remains crucial in addressing this environmental catastrophe and supporting the resilience of Gaza's agricultural heritage.