Saturday, August 8, 2026 - Amid the shattered buildings of Gaza City, beekeeper Ibrahim al-Dabba is rebuilding his livelihood from the roof of a damaged residential tower. Before the war, he had more than 400 hives across eastern Gaza.
After losing his home, equipment and most of his colonies, he restarted with just three hives and has gradually expanded them to about 35, working alongside his sons. His rooftop apiary now stands among the ruins as he tries to keep both his family business and a vital agricultural activity alive.
The challenges are enormous. Gaza's agricultural land has been heavily damaged, access to orchards has become difficult, and essential beekeeping supplies are scarce or unaffordable. Reuters reports that the territory had around 30,000 hives before the war and produced roughly 400 metric tons of honey annually; only about 700 hives remain, with honey production falling to around 10% of previous levels.
With fewer flowering plants available, beekeepers are also relying on sugar supplements to keep colonies alive.
For al-Dabba, rebuilding the hives is about far more than producing honey. Bees are essential pollinators, making their survival closely connected to the future of agriculture and food production in Gaza. His rooftop effort shows how residents are adapting to extraordinary conditions while trying to preserve livelihoods that have been devastated by war.
Every surviving colony represents a small but tangible step toward restoring economic activity, agriculture and a sense of normal life amid continuing destruction.
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