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Spinach in Gaza, after the spraying was conducted. Photo by Forensic Architecture<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0 Riad Al Nisar, a farmer from Al Bureij Refugee Camp, who cultivates more than 20 dunams (about five acres) of parsley and zucchini crops about 300 meters away from the fence, reported that the effects of the spraying in the area on Wednesday and Thursday appeared on the crops clearly on Sunday. Al Nisar has suffered from significant financial losses caused by the spraying in previous years as well. In late 2018, he assessed<\/strong><\/span><\/a> that losses he had sustained amounted to at least 10,000-15,000 USD.<\/span><\/p>\n Another local farmer, Salah Al Najjar, has farmland located 300 to 600 meters from the fence in an area stretching east of Khan Yunis. His spinach fields were completely destroyed. He said his brother\u2019s fava bean field, about a kilometer away from the fence, is also showing signs of damage. Al Najjar\u2019s crops have been severely impacted as a result of previous spraying<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n A video<\/strong><\/span><\/a> update by Forensic Architecture confirms the farmer\u2019s assessment<\/strong><\/span> <\/a>that the spraying was timed so that westward-blowing wind would carry the chemical agents used in the spraying into the Strip. Farmers were not given any notice, leaving them unable to take precautions to protect their crops or harvest them in advance to avoid further losses.<\/span><\/p>\n In response to Freedom of Information requests by Gisha, Israel admitted<\/a><\/strong><\/span> to having conducted aerial spraying over Israeli territory near the perimeter fence almost 30 times between 2014 and 2018. The army has stated<\/a><\/strong><\/span> that the spraying is conducted in order to expose the terrain \u201cto enable optimal and continuous security operations.\u201d No incidents of spraying were recorded in 2019. It is estimated that aerial herbicide spraying by Israel has affected a total area of 7,620 dunams of arable land in the Strip. In July 2019, Forensic Architecture published a multi-media investigation<\/strong><\/span><\/a> into the practice, based in large part on research and legal work by human rights organizations Gisha, Adalah, and Al Mezan. The report strengthened the organizations\u2019 findings whereby aerial herbicide spraying by Israel has damaged lands deep inside Gaza.<\/span><\/p>\n Last Thursday, Gisha, Adalah and Al Mezan, sent a letter<\/strong><\/span><\/a> to Israel\u2019s Minister of Defense, Military Advocate General, and Attorney General, arguing that such a disproportionate measure, with detrimental impact on livelihoods and the health of the civilian population, is unlawful under both Israeli and international law, and calling<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>on Israeli authorities to stop the practice immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n