Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Recent

After Israeli attacks decimated his family farm, a university graduate in Gaza has been working on rebuilding and cultivating the land in hopes of contributing to the restoration of food security in the embattled enclave.

Youssef Abu Rabie was the first to return to his family farm after Israeli forces withdrew from their neighborhood.

The 24-year-old is an agricultural engineering graduate from Al-Azhar University who has accumulated rich agricultural experience since he was a child.

According to the young agronomist, Gazan agriculture once had a promising future, but everything has been devastated since the outbreak of the war.

Though his family is one of civilian farmers, Israeli attacks not only damaged their land but took the life of Youssef's father.

Even the hardship of losing a loved one could not dampen his optimism and ambition. After unremitting efforts, his farm reconstruction project gradually took off.

Last month, UN human rights experts said that famine had undoubtedly arrived in northern Gaza.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has now reached 40,334, said the Gaza-based health authorities in a statement released on Saturday.

Shotlist:
Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Recent:
1. Various of farmer covering greenhouses with film;
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Youssef Abu Rabie, farmer (starting with shot 1/ending with shot 3):
"My name is Youssef Abu Rabie, from Gaza, I live in the city of Beit Lahia. I am 24 years old, an agricultural engineering graduate from Al-Azhar University. I have been working in the agricultural sector for as long as I can remember.";
3. Youssef placing mulch film;
4. Various of Youssef selecting seeds;
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Youssef Abu Rabie, farmer (starting with shots 3-4):
"Our city of Beit Lahia is an agricultural city famous for its strawberry crop, which we all cherish in Palestine, and it's considered the first Palestinian product in the world in terms of quality and international specifications. And we have been the main exporters to all countries.";
6. Various of Youssef connecting water pipe, watering plants;
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Youssef Abu Rabie, farmer (starting with shot 6):
"It was time to harvest this crop, but unfortunately, with the beginning of this grinding and continuous war, more than 4 thousand square meters of strawberry crops were destroyed.";
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Youssef Abu Rabie, farmer:
"(They) directly targeting on farmers, God protect them. God.";
9. Farm on ruins, building remains;
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Youssef Abu Rabie, farmer (starting with shot 9):
"Our solar-powered water wells were completely destroyed, unfortunately, which means that we no longer have the ingredients for agriculture. My father continued his attempts to return and reach the land despite the danger, but he was directly targeted and killed by a missile strike. When we came back to this place and announced the resumption of farming, and just when started planting, we were directly targeted.";
11. Various of Youssef carrying planting boxes;
12. Youssef watering plants;
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Youssef Abu Rabie, farmer (starting with shots 11-12):
"Thank God we were able to grow some of the crops and vegetables such as mallow, zucchini and cucumbers. We produced them and ate them, and in light of the famine we also distributed to the neighbors.";
14. Various of farm on ruins, building remains;
15. Various of Youssef scarifying, preparing soil;
16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Youssef Abu Rabie, farmer (starting with shot 15/ending with shot 17):
"I hope that there will be strategic or sustainable support for these farmers and these lands, so that it becomes easy to cultivate them and we do not need to rely on foreign countries, air aid or any other kind of assistance."

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