UN warns 95% of Gaza’s farmland destroyed as Israel’s siege triggers famine crisis

• The UN warns that 95% of Gaza’s agricultural land is now unusable due to Israeli attacks, pushing half a million Palestinians toward starvation.
• Over 80% of Gaza’s cropland is damaged, with only 4.6% still cultivable after deliberate destruction of greenhouses, wells, and farms.
• FAO reports 71% of greenhouses and 83% of agricultural wells are destroyed, collapsing Gaza’s ability to feed itself and creating a man-made famine.
• Famine is now imminent, with 500,000 facing catastrophic hunger and over a million surviving on less than one meal a day due to Israel’s blockade.
• Despite global outcry, humanitarian aid is blocked, and Israeli airstrikes continue, killing civilians and deepening Gaza’s humanitarian disaster.

The United Nations has issued a devastating warning that Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza have rendered 95% of the territory’s agricultural land unusable, pushing half a million Palestinians to the brink of starvation. A joint assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) reveals that over 80% of Gaza’s cropland has been damaged, with only 4.6% remaining cultivable. The deliberate targeting of greenhouses, wells, and farms has decimated Gaza’s ability to feed itself, accelerating what experts call a man-made famine.

Agricultural annihilation

The numbers are staggering. According to the UN report, 71% of Gaza’s greenhouses and 83% of its agricultural wells have been destroyed by Israeli military operations. Beth Bechdol, FAO’s deputy director-general, stated: “This level of destruction is not just a loss of infrastructure—it is a collapse of Gaza’s agri-food system and of lifelines.” She added, “What once provided food, income, and stability for hundreds of thousands is now in ruins.”

Before Israel’s siege, Gaza’s farmers cultivated citrus fruits, dates, and olives, sustaining a densely populated territory. Now, the land lies barren, littered with rubble and unexploded ordnance. The FAO warns that rebuilding will require “massive investment” and years of commitment—resources that will remain out of reach as long as Israel’s blockade persists.

Famine as a weapon

The destruction of farmland is not collateral damage; it is a calculated strategy. By systematically erasing Gaza’s ability to produce food, Israel has weaponized starvation in a clear violation of international law. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirms that famine is now “imminent,” with 500,000 Palestinians facing “catastrophic” hunger. Over a million more are at emergency levels, surviving on less than a meal a day.

Despite global outcry, Israel’s blockade continues to strangle humanitarian aid. Although limited shipments have been permitted, relief organizations report that supplies are not reaching those in need. Gaza’s Health Ministry estimates that over 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, wounded, or missing since October 2023, with thousands more perishing from malnutrition and disease.

Aid blocked, lives lost

The international community has failed Gaza. While the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) claims to distribute aid, Palestinians on the ground say no assistance has arrived. UN officials have condemned the GHF’s involvement, warning that private, Israel-approved aid schemes will only deepen displacement and suffering. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continue unabated, killing dozens daily.

In northern Gaza, where nearly all cropland is inaccessible, families scavenge for weeds and animal feed. In Rafah, once a refuge for displaced civilians, Israeli bombardments have turned shelters into death traps. A recent attack on a school-turned-shelter killed 36 people, including children.

Israel’s siege of Gaza is not war; it is ethnic cleansing. By destroying farms, blocking aid, and bombing civilians, the Israeli government has engineered a famine to force Palestinians from their land. The UN’s findings confirm what eyewitnesses have long reported: Gaza’s food system has been annihilated, and its people are being starved into submission.

If governments continue to fund and defend Israel’s atrocities, they become complicit in genocide. The time for empty condemnations is over. Sanctions, arms embargoes, and prosecutions for war crimes are the only remaining tools to stop this slaughter. Gaza is dying. Will anyone save it?

Sources for this article include:

MiddleEastEye.net

AlJazeera.com

MiddleEastMonitor.com