A strawberry from a greenhouse inside Gaza before the war. Photo: Jaber Jehad Badwan, Creative Commons 4.0

The Gaza Strip, with its population of little more than 2 million people, once cultivated and exported strawberries—“red gold.”

Beit Lahia, located in northern Gaza, was one of the most prominent strawberry-growing areas, thanks to its sweet water, fertile soil, and mild climate. Strawberry farming contributed to the rise of agricultural tourism in Gaza. Organized tours began taking place that allowed people to learn about strawberry cultivation, take photos among the greenhouses, and enjoy tasting fruit picked directly from the plants themselves. Despite the high initial cost of growing strawberries in greenhouses, this method almost tripled strawberry production, as it significantly reduced water consumption.

My last visit to “Strawberry City” in Beit Lahia was in February 2023. It felt like a dream—an unforgettable day filled with joy. Excitement began the night before, robbing us of sleep. In the morning, we prepared a delicious pot of Palestinian maqluba to eat among the strawberry fields. I even wore a red hijab to match the fruit’s color and capture vibrant photos. After a long drive from central Gaza to the north, we arrived in the land of red gold. The strawberries were hanging beautifully, growing under glass in a perfect atmosphere.

Inside the greenhouses, the air was warm, in contrast to the cold of February, and the sight of the hanging strawberries heightened our excitement. The soft, unforgettable strawberry blossoms dangled from the ropes in different sizes, with small white petals we could pluck one by one to playfully ask, “Does he love me, or does he not?” At their center was a delicate, pale-yellow hue.

Inside the strawberry greenhouse. Photo provided by Shahed AbuShaikh

Some strawberries glistened a bright red; others were still yellow, needing more time to grow. I spent an hour wandering between the rows, admiring the fruit at different stages of ripening. The owner allowed me to pick some strawberries myself, so I chose the largest and sweetest and placed them carefully in my basket.

I tasted chocolate-covered strawberries for the first time at the farm, and their flavor was a delightful blend of the fruit’s sweetness and the richness of the chocolate. The farm owner then offered us fresh strawberry juice, full of taste and free from the artificial colors we are used to. I had brought a banana with me, which I sliced into the juice to enjoy a blend of my favorite fruits.

The fresh strawberry juice at the farm. Photo: Shahed AbuAlShaikh

Going to Strawberry City felt like a trip to paradise—there was greenery everywhere, and the red color of the fruit brought a sense of brightness to the cold of winter. I shared the photos with my friend, telling her how much I enjoyed the visit and how I wished to experience it again and again.

Shahed’s younger brothers holding freshly picked strawberries from the farm.” Photo: Shahed AbuAlShai

But now, these memories are all I have left to hold on to. The colors in the photos are the only colors left in a life dimmed by war.

My journey to Strawberry City was not unique. Each of us in Gaza has a personal story or memory of the strawberry farms. Schools used to organize field trips to raise children’s agricultural awareness and introduce them to the land’s blessings, blessings which have been entirely destroyed and uprooted by the occupation.

That lovely February day, filled with cold breezes and warm memories, is now painful to recall, as it may never return. A day like that, though engraved in the mind and captured in photos, still hurts the heart deeply to remember. There is no longer a Strawberry City. Gaza today cannot produce a single strawberry.

A report from December 2024 indicated that Gaza’s strawberry crop was completely destroyed through the relentless aggression of the Israeli occupation. Its destruction caused massive economic losses estimated at $11 million—the total value of Gaza’s strawberry exports. A crime to add to the long list of crimes created by the war. Agricultural infrastructure was directly targeted, along with the farmland and facilities tied to production, leaving over 40,000 workers without any source of income.

As the war ravaged Gaza indiscriminately, crushing everything, all sectors suffered severe damage. The educational, health, industrial, and historical sectors were all devastated along with agriculture. Israel’s primary goal is to destroy anything that gives Gaza a past, a present, or a future.

Strawberries truly were Gaza’s red gold—shining in its farms, markets, and homes. Now, after more than two years of war, not a single strawberry is to be seen, depriving Gaza of produce it once exported by the ton.