Israeli planes have reportedly sprayed chemical substances on farmlands across the besieged Gaza Strip, killing off the crops in the already impoverished Palestinian territory.
Several farmers informed us that Israeli planes had sprayed their lands with pesticides," Wael Thabet, head of the plant protection department at Gaza AgricultureMinistry, said on Wednesday.
The outskirts of al-Qararatown north ofKhan Yunis, andWadias-Salqaagricultural town south of Deiral-Balah are the affected areas.
Thabet said an estimated 371 acres of farmingland in central Gaza and 50 acres of land in eastern Khan Younis have been affected.
Saleh al-Najjar, a farmer from al-Qarara, said he lost some 7.4 acres of spinach and pea crops as a result of the spraying.
Another farmer, Wael al-Shami, said he lost crops of parsley and beans, which he had planted near the town.
The continuing Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip is putting the lives of people at risk, taking a heavy toll on the enclave'sagriculture sector.
Farmers are struggling to meet growing demands of 1.8 million Gazanswho are living in the tight grip of theIsraeli siege. They face many challenges due to shortages in farming equipment and more importantly, approved pesticides.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Palestinian farmers work in their fields in the village of Khuzaa, east of Khan Yunis near the fence between Israel and the southern Gaza Strip, on December 6, 2014. ( AFP)[/caption]Due to thedecline in production andIsrael's ban on the entry of basic commodities, Gazan farmers have resorted to the use of banned chemical substances to maximize crop yield. This poses a serious health hazard to both farmers and their consumers.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concerns over the excessive use of toxic pesticides by Gazafarmers.
Many medical experts in Gaza are worried abouta risein the number of registered Gazancancer patients, especially in the agricultural areas.
They warn that children are more susceptible todiseases such as leukemia than adults in such regions.
Gaza Strip has been under Israels blockade since June 2007. The crippling siegehas caused a decline in livingstandards as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.
Israel launchedits latest war on the Gaza Strip in early July last year.Nearly 2,200 Palestinians, including 577 children, were killed in Israels 50-day onslaught. Over 11,100 others including 3,374 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly people were also injured.
By Press TV
