Planting seeds of sovereignty in Gaza

Food sovereignty is a matter of life and death in Gaza, where Israel has been deliberately destroying Palestinians’ ability to sustain themselves.

For Yousef Abu Rabee, from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, farming ran in his blood. He had been doing it from a very young age, the 24-year-old said with pride when interviewed by The Electronic Intifada in September.

But over the past year, many farmers in Gaza like Abu Rabee have had to abandon their land, crops and way of life due to Israeli bombing and evacuation orders. Instead of producing their own food, they, like everyone else in Gaza, have become dependent on the little humanitarian aid allowed in as Israel deliberately destroys Palestinians’ self-sufficiency.