Mohammed Shamlakh and his siblings are reviving their 1.2-hectare plot with grapevines and fig trees, after it was destroyed by Israeli military bulldozers in the Sheikh Ajlin neighbourhood in Gaza city.
Before the Gaza war, the entire area was planted with grapevines and fig trees, producing some of the finest and highest-quality fruit.
“People used to visit our land, eat fruit from our trees and enjoy the scenery of the farmland near the sea, which was rich and abundant,” Mr Shamlakh told the National.
His family were unable to reach their property for more than two years. They eventually returned after a ceasefire agreement was signed in October 2025 and Israeli forces withdrew from Sheikh Ajlin.
“When we reached the land, we saw the scale of the destruction; every tree on our property had been destroyed,” he explained. “It was extremely difficult for us to think about where to begin if we wanted to start again.”
Then his brother Mahmoud suggested digging down to find the roots of the grapevines and fig trees, and try to revive them. The roots had extended deep into the soil over the 40 years since planting.
“We succeeded in reaching the roots and began trying to revive whatever we could through irrigation, land rehabilitation and the use of plant treatments that were available in Gaza,” he said.
They succeeded in rehabilitating only 10 per cent of the trees that once grew on their land. This season, which began in mid-July, they started harvesting grapes and figs again and supplying them to the local markets. Quantities are still very small but people were happy to see this much-loved produce return.
Grapes are now selling at the local market for between 17 and 22 shekels ($5.70 to $7.40) per kilogram, while figs can reach 30 shekels per kilogram. Before the war, a kilogram of grapes cost about five shekels and figs about seven.
According to local officials, around 700 hectares of land in Gaza were planted with grapevines, producing more than 4,000 tonnes of grapes annually. However, current production doesn’t exceed a few tonnes.
Nizar Al Wahidi, an agricultural and environmental expert, and engineer, said the fertile soil and coastal environment of the Sheikh Ajlin area have contributed to the high quality of its produce. “Restoring the agricultural landscape of the area to what it was before the war will take many years,” he told The National.
For generations, Sheikh Ajlin was not only an agricultural area but also a popular destination for Gaza residents. Its location on the Mediterranean coast, combined with its vineyards, fig orchards and other farmland, made it a place where families could spend time outdoors and buy fresh produce directly from farmers and roadside vendors.
Earlier this year, the US-based NGO Mercy Corps published an article about the state of Gaza's farmland that found 96 per cent of it was either destroyed, or out of reach. This includes infrastructure such as greenhouses, wells and irrigation systems.
“I feel very sad whenever I pass through Sheikh Ajlin after seeing how badly the area was destroyed during the war,” Ibrahim Abu Asr, 34, said. But at the same time, he has noticed an encouraging scene over the past few months.
“Farmers are returning to work on their land; they are determined to farm again. Sheikh Ajlin grapes taste exactly as they did before the war, and so do the figs. The prices may be high, but the taste is the same,” he added.
