‘Ray of hope’: Gaza seed bank rebuilds after wartime destruction

International'Ray of hope': Gaza seed bank rebuilds after wartime destructionBy AFP -Aug 20, 2026Add ARY News on GoogleAAResizeDeir el-Balah: From a small makeshift tent in the central Gaza Strip, a dedicated team works to carefully store and document some of the war-shattered territory’s most precious commodities: local seeds. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the territory’s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. Shelves of unassuming plastic tubs line the walls of the Al Qarara Seed Bank, each holding indigenous seeds seen as a way of reviving Gaza’s devastated farming sector and preserving its agricultural heritage. The seed bank in Deir el-Balah is rebuilding its stocks of Gaza’s heirloom seeds that were destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war which erupted in October 2023. Unlike hybrid varieties often sold commercially, heirloom seeds can be saved and used year after year and are often better adapted to their local environment. “During the war, they were what helped us survive,” said Salem Muhanna, who manages the project which was founded in 2017 with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “Heirloom seeds give continuity. They provide 80 to 90 percent of the same yield repeatedly. That is why we relied on heirloom seeds,” he told AFP. UN says only 3% of Gaza cropland accessible and undamaged The bank holds seeds for wheat and barley; leafy crops such as Swiss chard, spinach and parsley, as well as some vegetables like courgette and okra. The fighting “completely destroyed the bank and led to the loss of many seed varieties,” explained 27-year-old Hanadi Muhanna, Salem Muhanna’s daughter who also manages the project. “In addition, because we were repeatedly displaced, it was difficult to start over again,” she added. “Eventually we settled in Deir el-Balah and managed, thankfully, to establish a s...