Gaza beekeepers struggle after war

After more than two years of war and a ceasefire in October 2025, Gaza's beekeepers are struggling to rebuild their livelihoods. Before the war, there were around 30,000 hives, but now only about 700 remain, according to beekeeper Rateb Sammour. Honey production has fallen to about 10% of pre-war levels. Beekeepers like Ibrahim Al-Dabba and Fahd Al-Dahdouh are salvaging equipment and placing hives on rooftops because farmland is destroyed or inaccessible. Access to agricultural areas near the border with Israel is restricted by the yellow line military demarcation. Israel controlled an estimated 64% of Gaza by late April, and most of the 2 million residents live in a narrow coastal area under Hamas control. The conflict has devastated the agricultural sector, and reconstruction has stalled.