Gaza Genocide18 August, 20263 min read
UN-Linked Assessment Finds Only 3% of Gaza Cropland Accessible and Undamaged
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3% of Gaza cropland remains accessible and undamaged. 448 hectares accessible, down from 601 hectares since October 2025 (25.5% drop).
Farmland collapses to 3%
A UN-linked geospatial assessment says only three percent of Gaza’s cropland remains both accessible and undamaged, with the area shrinking from 601 hectares in October 2025 to 448 hectares by 24 June 2026. The assessment attributes the decline primarily to reduced access to farmland since the October 2025 ceasefire, tied to the westward expansion of the “Yellow Line” that separates the ceasefire zone from territory controlled by the Israeli military. It also reports that 4,091 hectares—27 percent of Gaza’s cropland—remained accessible as of 24 June 2026, but that the other 3,643 hectares were damaged and would require rehabilitation before cultivation could resume.
Rafah is described as the most affected area, where 97.2 percent of cropland cannot be accessed and 98.4 percent of greenhouse area is also inaccessible. The FAO warned that “Without urgent action to restore safe access and provide the farmers with the support they need, opportunities to restore local food production will continue to diminish,” as the agriculture sector faces a widening collapse in usable land.
Inputs and access squeeze
The UN assessment says restrictions on the import and distribution of essential agricultural inputs are hampering recovery, while farmers face critical shortages of seeds, fertilizers, irrigation equipment, fuel and other production materials. It adds that livestock keepers also struggle to obtain feed, veterinary supplies and animal health services, and that FAO’s ability to import feed and other materials needed to protect and restock herds remains inconsistent. Greenhouse availability is reported as declining to 224 hectares that are accessible and undamaged, down from 226 hectares in October 2025, with Deir al-Balah recording the largest decrease.
The report frames the “Yellow Line” as the key driver of access limits, stating that the decline reflects reduced access to farmland since the October 2025 ceasefire “associated primarily with the westward expansion” of that line. In the same assessment, FAO and UNOSAT conclude that safe access to farmland and reliable access to inputs are essential, warning that “Safe and unimpeded access to farmland, reliable access to production inputs and sustained investment are essential to rebuild Gaza's agrifood system”.
Food system at risk
The assessment links the shrinking agricultural base to broader food-system risk, noting that before the escalation of Israel’s aggression in October 2023, agriculture accounted for about 10 percent of Gaza’s economy and supported the livelihoods of more than 560,000 people through crop production, livestock rearing and fishing. It says that as access narrows and inputs remain constrained, the space available for farmers to produce food keeps shrinking even where agricultural assets remain physically intact. Channel Africa’s reporting similarly describes how farmers returning from displacement attempted rehabilitation with basic tools, with farmer Taysir Dahdouh saying, “We managed to rehabilitate about one dunum of our land to bring it back to life.”
Channel Africa also quotes Wajiha Dahdouh on the practical barrier to farming, saying, “There is not enough water, there are no fertilisers, no seeds, and none of the basic necessities that would allow people to continue their lives,” as the conflict undermines irrigation and basic supplies. Against that backdrop, Rein Paulsen warned that opportunities to restore local food production are diminishing without urgent action to restore safe access and provide farmers with support, while the assessment calls for urgent and sustained measures to rebuild Gaza’s agrifood system.