Gaza, once known for its fragrant citrus groves and good-quality honey, has seen its beekeeping industry collapse as hives and vegetation fall victim to Israel's war.
The soft hum of bees, a sound that signalled life, livelihoods and tradition, has all but disappeared. The Ministry of Agriculture said 90 per cent of Gaza's 30,000 beehives have been destroyed, as well as 76 per cent of the vegetation cover that sustained them.
Some hives were wrecked by a lack of sugar and vegetation for bees to feed on, while others were dismantled for fuel as Israel blocked aid deliveries into the strip. Even after the October ceasefire was arranged, some apiaries have been cut off by the 'yellow line' that marks out Israeli-held territory.
Before the war, about 800 beekeepers in Gaza produced as many as 400 tonnes of honey annually. Today, production has plunged to just 20 tonnes, leaving honey scarce and its price soaring from 70 shekels ($21) per kilogram to 300, if it can be found at all.
“The honey production sector has suffered losses exceeding 90 per cent,” Ihab Taha, the head of the ministry's beekeeping department, told The National.
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