Impact of these violations on the agricultural sector and Palestinian farmers:

• A decline in agricultural production due to the uprooting and burning of fruit trees, especially olive and grape trees, and the destruction of field crops, leading to losses in the current and future agricultural seasons. - Depletion of water resources through the demolition of water reservoirs, destruction of irrigation networks, and confiscation of water pumps, which threatens the sustainability of agricultural production and exacerbates water scarcity.
• Weakening of Palestinian food security due to the decline in the production of staple crops and fruits, and the reduced ability of farmers to meet local market demands.
• Significant economic losses for farmers due to the loss of mature trees, agricultural facilities, livestock, and agricultural equipment, impacting the income of farming families and increasing poverty and unemployment rates in rural areas.
• Restriction of farmers' access to their lands due to settler attacks, eviction notices, and expulsion policies, preventing them from cultivating and tending their land and leading to a decline in agricultural investment.
• Acceleration of settlement expansion through the targeting of agricultural lands adjacent to settlements and grazing outposts, contributing to the imposition of a new reality on the ground and the reduction of Palestinian agricultural land.
• Threat to the sustainability of the agricultural sector.

The repeated targeting of agricultural infrastructure and production sources reduces the sector's ability to recover and continue operating.

• Targeting the resilience of Palestinian farmers and forcing them to abandon their land due to repeated losses and the high cost of rehabilitation, which threatens the Palestinian presence in the targeted areas.
• Damaging agricultural heritage and national identity by uprooting ancient trees, especially the ancient olive trees, which represent economic, historical, and cultural value for the Palestinian people.
• The high cost of reconstruction and rehabilitation due to the need to rebuild water networks and agricultural facilities and replant trees, which requires many years and significant financial resources.

Ministry of Agriculture Interventions to Revitalize the Agricultural Sector:

Despite the scale of the ongoing Israeli attacks targeting the agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture continues to implement urgent intervention programs to support farmers' resilience and enhance their ability to remain on their land, through:

• Conducting technical assessments and documentation of damages using the "Al-Wateera" system, ensuring that losses are documented according to an approved national methodology.
• Providing emergency interventions to rehabilitate damaged agricultural lands and remove the effects of the attacks whenever field conditions permit. - Rehabilitating and maintaining damaged water sources, irrigation networks, and agricultural facilities to the best of our ability.
• Providing agricultural inputs to affected farmers, including seedlings, seeds, animal feed, and other production necessities.
• Supporting the rehabilitation of orchards and the planting of fruit trees, especially olive trees, to preserve agricultural land and enhance the resilience of the population.
• Strengthening livestock protection programs and supporting affected livestock breeders in the most targeted areas.
• Preparing damage assessment reports and submitting them to governmental and international bodies and donors to mobilize the necessary funding for reconstruction and recovery.
• Continuing fieldwork in threatened areas despite restrictions and risks, to ensure the continuity of agricultural services for farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture affirms that revitalizing the agricultural sector is no longer merely a development option, but has become a national and strategic imperative for preserving Palestinian food security, strengthening the resilience of citizens, and protecting the land from land confiscation and settlement expansion schemes.

The Ministry of Agriculture's Appeal to the International Community:

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture reiterates its urgent appeal to the international community, United Nations agencies, and international human rights and humanitarian organizations to assume their legal and moral responsibilities regarding the escalating violations against the Palestinian agricultural sector. These violations target the land, farmers, natural resources, and the foundations of food security in the Palestinian territories.

The continued attacks on agricultural lands, including bulldozing, uprooting, and burning, settlement expansion and the establishment of pastoral outposts, the confiscation of land and water resources, and the prevention of farmers from accessing their lands, pose a direct threat to the agricultural sector's ability to withstand challenges and produce, and undermine opportunities for rural development and economic and social stability in Palestine. The Ministry calls upon the international community to take immediate and effective action to halt these violations, provide protection for Palestinian farmers, their lands, and their property, compel the occupying authorities to comply with international law and international humanitarian law, and hold accountable those responsible for the repeated violations against the Palestinian agricultural sector.

The Ministry also calls for increased international support for agricultural recovery and rehabilitation programs, funding for land reclamation projects and the protection of natural resources, and enabling affected farmers to resume their productive activities, thereby contributing to strengthening their resilience and preserving food security and food sovereignty for the Palestinian people.