Hebron/PNN/ 

In the southernmost town of Yatta, located in the Hebron Governorate in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian farmer Jamal Abu Sabha has successfully established his own strawberry farm. His expertise in cultivation stems from years of work in the fields of Qalansawe, a city inside Israel, before Israeli restrictions cut off Palestinian workers from their jobs in the occupied territories.

Abu Sabha first experimented with strawberry farming in 2013, investing in his land and achieving promising results. However, following the events of 7 October and the subsequent tightening of Israeli closures, he found himself forced to secure an alternative means of livelihood, as the ongoing blockade has left Palestinians without job opportunities for the past 16 months.

With the support of his brother Abu Khaldoun, who previously worked as a contractor in Israel, Abu Sabha managed to cultivate 12 dunams of land with strawberry plants.

Strawberries require significant amounts of water for irrigation, posing a challenge in Palestine, where water resources are severely restricted under Israeli control. Israel diverts much of the region’s water supply to its settlements and areas inside the Green Line, often leaving Palestinian communities facing acute shortages, even for drinking water.

Speaking with a sigh, Abu Sabha described how he overcame the water crisis: “I buy water from tankers, and I also collect rainwater in a cistern, despite the high cost.”

Despite the financial and logistical hardships, Abu Sabha remains determined to sustain his farm, adapting to the restrictions imposed on Palestinian livelihoods under occupation.

Despite the hardships of farming under occupation, Palestinian farmer Jamal Abu Sabha has successfully cultivated strawberries, driven by his passion for the fruit and years of hands-on experience working in Qalansawe.

Through trial and error, he developed his own methods to treat plant diseases and pests, using a combination of agricultural treatments not commonly available in the market—techniques that even many agricultural engineers are unfamiliar with.

Thanks to his expertise, Abu Sabha has been able to export his strawberries after passing quality inspections. He has also successfully marketed his produce in cities such as Ramallah, Hebron, and Bethlehem. 

His strawberries stand out due to their rich, sweet flavour, as they are grown in natural soil without reliance on chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilisers.

In an appeal to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, Abu Sabha called for greater support for strawberry farmers, particularly in providing water, agricultural treatments, and essential farming tools. 
 

He emphasised that such assistance would not only help sustain existing farms but also create new job opportunities, allowing more workers to find employment in local agriculture.

Through his own efforts, Abu Sabha has expanded his farm and provided jobs for five additional workers who lost their livelihoods due to Israeli-imposed closures and movement restrictions.

His initiative has offered a lifeline to others struggling under the difficult economic conditions brought about by the ongoing war and Israeli-imposed restrictions in the West Bank and Gaza.

Reflecting on his unexpected success, Abu Sabha expressed his determination to continue farming and expand his cultivated land, turning his personal resilience into a model for agricultural growth in Palestine.

This story was produced as part of the Qarib programme, implemented by the French Media Development Agency (CFI) in partnership with and funded by the French Development Agency (AFD).