The Gaza Kitchen contains, in addition to its many wonderful recipes, many very informative sidebars that illustrate the renowned food culture of Gaza. It is clear, based on the deliberate bombardment of several sectors of farmland in Gaza, that Israel’s intent is to erase Gaza’s distinguished entire food system and to hinder the people from reviving it. This article will track how the different food practices in Gaza have been severely impacted by the war, showing the stark decline in comparison to how these sectors were compared in the cookbook.

In the book’s introduction, authors Laila El Haddad and Maggie Schmitt describe several dish

es unique to Gaza, such as the “delicious rumaniyya (a stew of eggplant, tart pomegranate juice, and lentils, thickened with roasted red tahina) or the characteristic sumagiyya (a festive chard and lamb stew infused with sumac) or the lesser known fattit ajir, a seasonal and celebratory fatteh of roasted baby watermelons, thick qursa bread, extra virgin olive oil, and summer vegetables.”

Today, most Gazans have not seen or eaten a fresh vegetable in a year. Muhammad Abu Samra and his family used to rely on farming to survive. Although making a living was a challenge prior to the war, Abu Samra used to sell vegetables grown on his land to markets throughout the Gaza Strip. Now, he is completely reliant on humanitarian aid. The 17-year, Israeli-imposed blockade had meant that products entering and exiting the Strip were highly restricted, including desperately needed farming and irrigation equipment. Since the genocide began, Abu Samra’s land in the Deir al-Balah area has been bombed heavily through the duration of the war. Now, the family cannot use its land for cultivation.

According to satellite data analyzed by Al Jazeera between October 2023 and June 2024, nearly 60% of Gaza’s agricultural land has been damaged or destroyed. The UN estimated that 68% of Gaza’s permanent cropland would be exhibiting “significant decline in health and density” by September of

that year.

 

In addition, the co-authors described visiting a family-run dairy farm in Beit Lahiya run by Nafi Attar. Dairy farmers faced many dilemmas. Prices on imported feed had increased from 7 shekels to 25 shekels following Operation Cast Lead. This made the prices of both locally raised milk and meat rise as well. Moreover, with regular electricity outages in Gaza, people bought less fresh milk as refrigeration was not guaranteed. They would resort to powdered milk rations or Israeli dairy, which was often allowed in while Palestinian dairy was not. Nevertheless, “there was still a local market for milk used to make butter and cheese, and one frequently sees dairy farmers such as Nafi selling their products in the city on the back of a donkey cart.”

The dairy industry has been completely destroyed over the last 14 months. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported in August of this year that about 70% of meat and dairy-producing livestock in Gaza have been slaughtered, consumed or lost as a result of the merciless war. At the time, the ten-month-long war had caused the collapse of local food production and agricultural chains. At the time, 96% of the population were in danger of acute food insecurity. The FAO took testimony from Bilal, a resident of Rafah and livestock keeper. Bilal stated that veterinary kits provided by FAO to livestock-keeping households are crucial to their animals’ health. Bilal explains: “Honestly, the support our animals need is fodder.That’s the most important thing for us, along with medicines and vaccines.”

Moreover, the scarcity of milk has been detrimental to the health of children. A piece published by Al-Monitor in June of this year discussed the major nutritional damage afflicting children who could not access milk. Parents scoured the shelves of pharmacies and supermarkets – those that hadn’t already been destroyed at this point – in desperation to obtain milk or formula for their young children. “Youssef needs treatment and milk, but there’s none available in Gaza,” a 3-year-old mother told AFP at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in central Gaza where her son was admitted for malnutrition treatment.”I feed him wheat which makes him bloated.” The boy is in critical need of milk to strengthen his bones and enrich his body with healthy vitamins.

 

This prosperous, community-oriented food culture of Gaza has clearly been deliberately targeted. Israel’s overall goal is to exterminate the Gazan culture and the fuel that sustains it, i.e people’s creativity and labor.