Israeli military operations have left Gaza’s olive sector in ruins, destroying roughly 92% of its production and devastating thousands of acres of farmland. Once a cornerstone of the enclave’s agricultural economy, the olive harvest has suffered near-total collapse over the past two years, leaving farmers struggling to survive amid skyrocketing costs and destroyed infrastructure.

Mohammad Abu Auda, spokesperson for Gaza’s Ministry of Agriculture, reported that Israeli forces employed bulldozers, shelling, and toxic chemicals to raze farmland, disrupt irrigation, and make access to olive groves nearly impossible. The result has been a dramatic reduction in cultivated land, from 50,000 dunams before the war to just 4,000 today, and a collapse in output from 40,000 tons of olives annually to barely 3,000 tons. Prices have soared accordingly, with the cost of a kilogram of olives rising sevenfold.

The destruction extends beyond the fields. Eleven of Gaza’s fourteen olive presses have been demolished, leaving only three operational. Annual olive oil production has fallen from 5,000 tons to just 400 tons, further undermining food security and livelihoods. Authorities warn that urgent international support is needed to rehabilitate farmland and sustain farmers facing an environmental and economic catastrophe.