Gaza/ Husni Nadim/ Anatolia

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in the Gaza Strip estimated on Monday that the losses of the agricultural sector due to the genocidal war launched by Israel on October 8, 2023, amount to about $3 billion.

The ministry's spokesman, Raafat Asaliya, said in a press conference held at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah (central) that the estimates, based on high-resolution aerial imagery analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), and official agricultural databases, showed that the value of losses amounted to about $3 billion, of which $1.49 billion in direct damages and $1.59 billion in indirect losses.

He explained that the crop production sector suffered significant losses, with 158,909 dunums damaged out of 182,247 dunums, a rate of 87%, leading to a sharp decline in crop production and a reduced ability to provide food.

He stated that the war also caused a near-total collapse of the agricultural irrigation system, after 8,700 agricultural water wells went completely out of service, along with damage to 3,828 agricultural water ponds, and destruction of 1,371 kilometers of agricultural water transmission lines.

In the livestock production sector, the damage rate reached 90.3%, including damage to more than 5,450 ruminant farms and about 2,300 poultry farms, in addition to the death of about 69,000 heads of ruminants and 2,079,000 birds, as well as damage to 28,400 beehives.

He pointed out that the fisheries sector incurred large losses, including damage to 1,674 fishing vessels and gear, 7 fish farms, and 450 dual-purpose ponds, in addition to the destruction of the only fish hatchery, leading to a near-total halt in fishing and fish production activities.

Damage also extended to agricultural infrastructure, with 93 agricultural nurseries damaged, including 50 horticulture nurseries and 33 vegetable nurseries, along with the destruction of 18 egg incubators and 134 agricultural cold storage units, in addition to extensive damage to government centers, veterinary laboratories, experimental stations, water treatment plants, and fishermen's facilities.

The ministry confirmed that this destruction led to a near-total paralysis of the agricultural production system, a sharp decline in food security, and the loss of income sources for thousands of families, increasing the population's dependence on humanitarian aid.

The ministry called on the international community, UN agencies, and donors to take urgent action to support the revival of the agricultural sector, rehabilitate its infrastructure, and enable the resumption of production, thereby enhancing food security and economic recovery in the Gaza Strip.

Despite reaching a ceasefire agreement on October 10, 2025, the humanitarian situation in the strip has not improved due to Israel's evasion of its commitments, including opening the crossings and allowing the agreed quantities of food, relief, medical aid, and construction materials.

The agreement was reached after two years of the Israeli genocidal war, which later continued in various forms, leaving more than 73,000 dead and over 173,000 wounded, along with widespread destruction that affected about 90% of the civil infrastructure.