Key facts
- Gaza's olive harvest has been decimated by conflict, with most orchards bulldozed or inaccessible.
- Yields are expected to be 5,000 tons of olives, down from 40,000 tons previously.
- Olive oil production is projected at 700 tons, a sharp decrease from 5,000 tons.
- Prices for olive oil have tripled to nearly $500 per drum, making it unaffordable for many Gazans.
- The number of operating olive oil presses has fallen from 40 to seven.
- Only about 150,000 of Gaza's 2 million olive trees remain standing.
Gaza's once-thriving olive groves, a significant source of livelihood and agricultural export, have been devastated by conflict, with vast swathes bulldozed or rendered inaccessible by Israeli military operations. Haidar Abu Middain, a 60-year-old farmer, described how his family's 220-acre orchard, which previously yielded up to 1,500 tons of olives and 900 drums of oil, has been reduced to a barren landscape. Nearly half of the land is now beyond a military-controlled 'yellow line', and the rest has been largely destroyed, leaving only a handful of trees standing.
Agriculture authorities estimate that only 150,000 of Gaza's 2 million olive trees remain. The anticipated harvest is projected to be a mere 5,000 tons of olives, a fraction of the usual 40,000 tons, with oil production expected to fall from 5,000 tons to 700 tons. This scarcity has driven prices up dramatically, with a drum of olive oil now costing nearly $500, a price far beyond the reach of most Gazan families.
The number of operational olive oil presses has plummeted from 40 to just seven, struggling to function with the limited supply. Fawaz Zidan, who operates a press in Deir al-Balah, stated that the situation is 'zero' compared to pre-war levels due to the destruction of the groves. In Deir al-Balah, a designated safe zone, some families like Khalil Mansi's are still able to harvest the remaining olives, providing scarce employment opportunities for laborers like Ahmed Khader, who now considers a single day's pay a significant gain.