Israel carries out aerial spraying of herbicides near Palestinian farmlands
A Palestinian farmer works on his land in the eastern Gaza Strip
Maha Hussaini reports in Middle East Eye on 18 March 2022:
For four days in a row, Israeli crop duster planes have been flying near the eastern Gaza Strip, spraying chemicals believed to be herbicides in close to Palestinian lands adjacent to the border fence. The frequency of the spray is determined by the direction of the wind, eyewitnesses say, adding that the spray stops when it rains, or when the wind blows “in the opposite direction”.
“They only start spraying along the border fence when the wind blows west, in the direction of the Palestinian lands, in order to allow the herbicides to cover a larger area inside our lands,” Palestinian farmer Youssef Abu Maghadid told Middle East Eye on Thursday. “But when the wind starts blowing east, they immediately stop because it would harm them.”
In Gaza, around 40,000 Palestinians depend on farming as their only source of livelihood. Maghadid estimates that the latest spraying was conducted over at least 60 hectares of farmland, directly affecting the livelihood of 35 to 40 farmers.
Farming made difficult
The Israeli army regularly claims that the herbicides are used to clear vegetation in the buffer zone on the Gaza side of the fence in order to have a clearer view of the area for military purposes.
But Palestinians say the policy inflicts wide-ranging damage on the residents of Gaza. Maghadid accused the Israeli authorities of intentionally damaging Palestinian crops in the eastern farmlands using various tactics over the years.