SAFA - Beekeeper Hussam Erhaim, 42, the sole provider for a family of six children, stands beside the few beehives he has managed to restore in Gaza City’s southeastern Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, about one kilometer from the so-called “Yellow Line.”

Despite the threats to his livelihood, beekeeping is still on the cards for Erhaim, who is determined to continue in the wake of the destruction left by the genocide in the Gaza Strip. He is striving to preserve a profession he loves, even after suffering severe losses.

Speaking to Felesteen Newspaper, Erhaim said Israeli military bulldozers leveled agricultural lands and destroyed apiaries and citrus groves that once provided a natural habitat for bees during the genocide, leaving behind barren land.

After Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the area following the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025, Erhaim had to level his land before he could reinstall his hives and resume work.

“We first removed the rubble and levelled the land,” he said. “Then we began repairing the beehive boxes that sustained damages during the genocide. I also purchased a limited number of hives from beekeepers in central and southern Gaza so I could restart, even with very modest resources.”

Erhaim explained that rebuilding the project is now beyond the financial capacity of most beekeepers. Before the genocide, a single beehive cost around 300 shekels; today, the price has surged to approximately 7,500 shekels because of the scarcity of hives and the difficulty of importing essential production supplies.

He restarted his business with just 10 hives and has since expanded to 20, but production remains extremely limited after Israeli occupation destroyed the natural grazing areas and vegetation.

“Under normal conditions, twenty hives would produce about 100 kilograms of honey,” Erhaim said. “This season, however, we harvested only around 10 kilograms because the bees can no longer find enough flowers to feed on after agricultural lands across Gaza were destroyed and bulldozed by Israeli occupation.”

He explained that bees typically fly between seven and nine kilometers in search of flowers. With most farmland devastated, they are now forced to travel even greater distances, sometimes crossing dangerous areas eastward in search of nectar sources. This directly affects both honey production and the overall strength of the colonies.

Living and Working Under Constant Risk

Despite the security risks, Arhaim continues working near the “Yellow Line,” a military demarcation separating populated areas from territory under Israeli military control.

“We are very close to danger, but we are holding on to our livelihood,” he said. “Whenever Israeli forces move closer to the area, we leave to protect our lives, then return to care for our hives.”

Beekeepers are also struggling with unprecedented increases in the cost of production materials, particularly foundation wax, on which queen bees lay their eggs. According to Erhaim, the price of one kilogram of wax has risen from about 70 shekels before the genocide to more than 1,200 shekels amid severe shortages and restrictions on bringing supplies into Gaza.

He called on relevant authorities and supporting organizations to provide beeswax, hive boxes, and new colonies, stressing that the future of the sector depends on securing the minimum production requirements, especially since hundreds of families rely on beekeeping as their primary source of income.

The decline in production and exorbitant costs have also driven up honey prices in local markets. A kilogram of honey now sells for around 280 shekels, “making it beyond the reach of many families already facing severe economic and humanitarian hardship. As a result, most people can only buy very small quantities, no more than a quarter kilogram or half a kilogram, while others cannot afford honey at all, despite its widespread use as both food and a natural remedy,” Erhaim said.

Heavy Losses Across the Sector

The impact of the Israeli genocide has extended far beyond individual apiaries. Vast areas of agricultural land and natural pastures, vital sources of nectar for bees, have been destroyed, causing direct damage to the honey production sector across all governorates of the Gaza Strip.

Beekeeping in Gaza falls under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, while the Beekeepers’ Cooperative Association represents workers in the sector and advocates for their interests.

Beekeepers in the Gaza Strip are urging government and civil society institutions to play a greater role in supporting the sector through training, financial assistance, compensation for losses, and protection for this vital agricultural industry.

The Gaza Strip’s beekeeping and honey production sector lost about $39 million since October 2023, the Beekeepers’ Cooperative Association said in 2025. Nearly 30,000 beehives, which had produced hundreds of tons of honey annually before the genocide, have been destroyed.

Destroying the vegetation and natural grazing areas has also disrupted the livelihoods of thousands of workers and deprived hundreds of beekeepers of their only source of income. Meanwhile, those who survived, like Hussam Erhaim, are struggling to save what is left of their beehives, hoping that one day the land will bloom again and that this vital sector can recover from one of the most devastating genocides in Gaza’s history.