Gaza Seed Bank Helps Farmers Cultivate Remaining Land

Gaza farmers have rebuilt a local seed bank destroyed during Israel's war, preserving native crops to cultivate the limited viable land remaining in the enclave, where most pre-war farmland is under Israeli military occupation. Farmer Salama Muhanna's bank, once holding 70 tons of seeds for 42 crops, was destroyed in early 2024; he and his team have since restored 32 local seed varieties, stored in a makeshift tent in Deir Al-Balah, with heirloom seeds offering resilience over imported hybrids. Local seeds are seen as protection against border closures, but agricultural experts say efforts are a "drop in the ocean" versus sector needs, with farmers risking gunfire near the Yellow Line to plant.