Israel sprays crop-killing pesticides on Gaza

Israeli planes reportedly sprayed agricultural lands along the Gaza border on Dec. 23 with pesticides that have been killing off crops for the third day in a row, the general manager of the plant protection department at the Gaza-based Ministry of Agriculture told Ma'an News Agency. Wael Thabet said that "several farmers informed the ministry that Israeli planes sprayed their lands with pesticides around the al-Qarrara area in eastern Khan Younis and the Wadi al-Salqa area in east central Gaza which damaged a large number of crops." Saleh al-Najjar, a farmer from al-Qarrara, said he lost some 30 dunums (7.4 acres) of spinach and pea crops due to the spraying. Another farmer, Wael al-Shami, said he lost crops of parsley and beans which were planted near al-Qarrara in eastern Khan Younis.

Thabet alleged that Israeli forces deliberately spray pesticides periodically on agricultural lands near the Gaza-Israeli border to destroy crops. He added that the Red Cross made a trip to observe the damaged area and estimated that 1500 dunams (371 acres) of land in central Gaza and 200 dunams (50 acres) in eastern Khan Younis were damaged according to initial reports. Thabet demanded that the Red Cross contact Israel and call for it to stop its violations against farmers in Gaza. 

From Ma'an News Agency, Dec. 23