Israeli planes reportedly sprayed agricultural crops along the Gaza border, on Wednesday, 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 said.Wael Thabet said, according to Ma’an, 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 ofeast central Gaza, damaging a large number of crops.”
Saleh al-Najjar, a farmer from al-Qarrara, said he lost some 30 dunams (7.4 acres) of spinach and pea crops due to the spraying, which has taken place from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. over the past three days.
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.
Thabet added that the Red Cross made a trip to observe the damaged lands and reportedly estimated that 1500 dunams (371 acres) of land in central Gaza and 200 dunams (50 acres) of land 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.
See video: Farming is Dangerous Work in Gaza
