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<h1 class="article-title">Israeli Planes Spray Crop-killing
Pesticides on Gaza Farmland</h1>
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<span class="article-detail">December 24, 2015<br>
<b><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.imemc.org/article/74339">http://www.imemc.org/article/74339</a></small></small></b></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="article-intro">Israeli planes reportedly sprayed
agricultural crops along the Gaza border, on Wednesday, with
pesticides that have been killing off crops for the third day in a
row, the general manager of the plant protection department at the
Gaza-based Ministry of Agriculture said.</blockquote>
Wael Thabet said, according to Ma'an, that “several farmers informed
the ministry that Israeli planes sprayed their lands with pesticides
around the al-Qarrara area, in eastern Khan Younis, and the Wadi
al-Salqa area ofeast central Gaza, damaging a large number of
crops.”<br>
<br>
Saleh al-Najjar, a farmer from al-Qarrara, said he lost some 30
dunams (7.4 acres) of spinach and pea crops due to the spraying,
which has taken place from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. over the past three
days.<br>
<br>
Another farmer, Wael al-Shami, said he lost crops of parsley and
beans which were planted near al-Qarrara in eastern Khan Younis.<br>
<br>
Thabet alleged that Israeli forces deliberately spray pesticides
periodically on agricultural lands near the Gaza-Israeli border to
destroy crops.<br>
<br>
Thabet added that the Red Cross made a trip to observe the damaged
lands and reportedly estimated that 1500 dunams (371 acres) of land
in central Gaza and 200 dunams (50 acres) of land in eastern Khan
Younis were damaged according to initial reports.<br>
<br>
Thabet demanded that the Red Cross contact Israel and call for it to
stop its violations against farmers in Gaza.
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