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UN Says Only 3% of Gaza Cropland Accessible and Undamaged

Salvage workers shovel the scrapped rubble of a building that was destroyed during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, to use the recycled remains in the future, in Gaza City on August 16, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Salvage workers shovel the scrapped rubble of a building that was destroyed during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, to use the recycled remains in the future, in Gaza City on August 16, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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UN Says Only 3% of Gaza Cropland Accessible and Undamaged

Salvage workers shovel the scrapped rubble of a building that was destroyed during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, to use the recycled remains in the future, in Gaza City on August 16, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Salvage workers shovel the scrapped rubble of a building that was destroyed during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, to use the recycled remains in the future, in Gaza City on August 16, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Just three percent of the cropland in Gaza remains accessible and undamaged, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization warned Tuesday, citing an analysis of satellite images.

The report found that since October 2025, when a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold, the area of accessible and undamaged cropland had fallen to 448 hectares from 601 hectares, a reduction of 25.5 percent, said AFP.

Another 3,643 hectares of cropland are accessible but too damaged to be farmed without rehabilitation, the FAO said.

"Without urgent action to restore safe access and provide farmers with the support they need, opportunities to restore local food production will continue to diminish," said Rein Paulsen, director of the agency's Office of Emergencies and Resilience.

Restrictions on the import of agricultural goods are also hampering recovery, with livestock farmers struggling to obtain animal feed and veterinary supplies.

Greenhouse availability has also declined, dropping 17.3 percent since October 2025 to 224 hectares that are accessible and undamaged.

The FAO said the reduced access could be explained mainly by the westward expansion of the so-called "Yellow Line" that separates the ceasefire zone from the area controlled by the Israeli military.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also took 251 hostages to Gaza.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the territory's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

A ceasefire took hold in October 2025 but progress on permanently ending the war has stalled, and Israeli forces currently control nearly 70 percent of the territory.

Before October 2023 agriculture accounted for about 10 percent of Gaza's economy and supported the livelihoods of more than 560,000 people, according to the FAO.

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Arab World

Abdi: Dissolution of SDF Marks New Beginning, Kurds Must Help Draft Syria’s New Constitution

This photo taken on August 25, 2026 shows Syrian presidential adviser Mustafa “Mazloum” Abdi speaking during a televised speech at the People's Palace in Damascus. (AFP)
This photo taken on August 25, 2026 shows Syrian presidential adviser Mustafa “Mazloum” Abdi speaking during a televised speech at the People's Palace in Damascus. (AFP)
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Abdi: Dissolution of SDF Marks New Beginning, Kurds Must Help Draft Syria’s New Constitution

This photo taken on August 25, 2026 shows Syrian presidential adviser Mustafa “Mazloum” Abdi speaking during a televised speech at the People's Palace in Damascus. (AFP)
This photo taken on August 25, 2026 shows Syrian presidential adviser Mustafa “Mazloum” Abdi speaking during a televised speech at the People's Palace in Damascus. (AFP)

New Syrian presidential adviser Mustafa “Mazloum” Abdi described the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after 15 years of armed activity as “an end and a beginning at the same time.”

“Today, for the first time, Kurds have an opportunity to participate, of their own free will, in building the new Syrian state, after the Baath regime pursued policies that denied Kurdish identity,” he stated.

In his first interview with a Turkish media outlet, the former SDF commander said the main objectives of Syria’s Kurds were “not to establish an entity separate from the state, but to become one of the constituent elements of the new state with their own identity, and to expand the gains that have been achieved through constitutional guarantees.”

He also stressed the need for Kurds to take part in the process of drafting a new Syrian constitution.

No deadline has been set for the completion of the process and a committee for drafting it should be formed in two to three months. “We want Kurds to be part of the committee,” he added.

Dissolution of the SDF

Abdi, who is on Türkiye’s terrorism list, told Ilke TV in an interview broadcast Thursday night that Kurds “experienced a particular situation in the region. They lived as a state, and political developments required that, but some changes have taken place recently.”

“The Syrian regime has changed, and a new Syria is being built. The international community wants the current Syrian administration to succeed, and the entire world supports Syria’s unity,” he remarked.

In written responses to questions from the Turkish newspaper Yeni Yasam published Friday, he noted that Kurds could have achieved more through the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria over the past 15 years, but had not done so.

He added that “the SDF joined the Syrian army with all its resources, under an agreement and a plan. We decided to take our place within this structure, and it has a role within the Syrian army.”

Asked about recognition of Kurdish as a mother tongue, Abdi replied that “we are now at a more advanced stage. For the first time, the Kurdish language has been introduced in schools, and this is a major achievement” for the Kurdish people.

New system of government

“Syria also wants to open up to the international community and comply with international law. Therefore, there is greater scope for establishing a democratic and secular state in the new era,” Abdi added.

He stressed “the need to resolve the problems of all segments of Syrian society,” noting that “the problem of democratic governance remains, and we will work hard to resolve it through political action.”

“The main task facing the Syrian state is to ensure a strong presence within the state for Druze, Alawites, Kurds and all other groups, and efforts are underway to achieve that,” he said.

Asked about his role as an adviser to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, he explained: “Frankly, the reason we agreed to be present in Damascus during this process is to ensure its success, achieve integration and ensure that Kurds obtain the strongest possible position within the state. That is our main objective.”

“However, our demand is for broader inclusivity. We want to play a positive and constructive role throughout Syria, not only in Kurdish areas,” he went on to say.

On the process underway in Türkiye to dissolve the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), disarm it and integrate its members into society, he said the process between PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and Ankara “could contribute to resolving the Kurdish issue in Syria.”

He also expressed openness to developing relations with Türkiye moving forward.

Asked about reports that he could visit Türkiye to meet Ocalan, he gave no clear answer, remarking only: “That would be good.”

Arab World

Houthi Attack on Western Yemen Tests Readiness of Govt Forces

Government forces are waging fierce battles against the Houthis in Taiz. (Military media)
Government forces are waging fierce battles against the Houthis in Taiz. (Military media)
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Houthi Attack on Western Yemen Tests Readiness of Govt Forces

Government forces are waging fierce battles against the Houthis in Taiz. (Military media)
Government forces are waging fierce battles against the Houthis in Taiz. (Military media)

The Iran-backed Houthi attack on western Yemen appears to be aimed at not only achieving gains on the ground, but pressuring the government forces to stretch out their troops on various fronts from Taiz to southern Hodeidah, while keeping marine passageways on the west coast under threat.

The Houthis carried out attacks on government forces in al-Barh, al-Kadha, Maqbanah, al-Ahtoub and Ghabari mountain in one of the fiercest assaults in years.

The attacks allow the Houthis to apply pressure on Taiz city on the west and cut supply routes between it and al-Mokha port.

Government forces on Friday recaptured a strategic position in western Taiz after fierce fighting with the Houthis.

Official military sources said clashes continued on the Maqbanah and al-Kadha fronts as government forces repelled Houthi advances. Government reinforcements have arrived in the area as the Houthis continued to dig in their positions in western Taiz.

Also on Friday, the Houthi launched a ballistic missile at a restaurant in western Taiz, causing fatalities and injuries among civilians. The restaurant and nearby property were heavily damaged.

AFP reported on Friday that over 120 people have been killed in the fighting since Thursday. No official or Houthi death tolls have been released.

The Houthis are focusing their attacks on western Taiz because it connects the city to the coast. Capturing al-Kadha and Maqbanah brings the militants closer to vital supply routes between Taiz and al-Mokha.

Moreover, capturing the areas brings them closer to the west coast and Red Sea waterways. The Houthis have no direct control over the regions overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, but they do hold Hodeidah city north of al-Mokha.

They had previously launched attacks against vessels transiting the Red Sea.

The legitimate Yemeni government had warned in August of Houthi plans to seize the Bab al-Mandeb coast, which it tied to the regional escalation and the war on Iran.

On the political level, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi held talks with several military commanders, including PLC member Tariq Saleh, to review the latest developments in Taiz and Hodeidah.

He stressed that the armed forces are capable of handling any escalation and thwarting the Houthi plots, said official sources.

He hailed the level of readiness and morale of the armed forces, adding that the Houthi attacks will not alter the equation on the ground and they will not be allowed to make any advances.

The attacks go beyond defending ground positions, but are tied to restoring state institutions and protecting civilians, waterways and vital facilities, he stressed.

The government will firmly respond to the escalation, while ensuring that the fighting does not spread so as to protect civilian lives, al-Alimi said.

Arab World

Israeli Strikes on Lebanon Kill Three

04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. (dpa)
04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. (dpa)
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Israeli Strikes on Lebanon Kill Three

04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. (dpa)
04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. (dpa)

Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon late on Friday killed at least three people and injured 23, the Lebanese health ministry said. 

The ministry said in a statement that strikes hit five locations in the southern Tyre and Nabatieh regions and the Bekaa region in the east. 

It updated an earlier toll given by Lebanese official media which had reported two of the deaths in the south. 

The strikes came despite a truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. 

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported the strike hit near the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge, which the Israeli army said it had captured, though Hezbollah did not confirm losing it. 

Two young men were targeted while riding a motorcycle in the city of Nabatieh, NNA said, adding that rescuers transported their bodies to a local hospital. 

Israel announced on Thursday it had taken control of the ridge. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military would work to "prevent the enemy from re-establishing itself in the area". 

Israel stepped up strikes in the Nabatieh region on Friday and also targeted the village of Rmadiyeh in the Tyre area, located more than 10 kilometers from the Israeli border. 

The ministry said the third person was killed and 15 others hurt there, including two children, three women and six rescuers. 

A rescue service source earlier told AFP that the strike in the village, which is sheltering people displaced from other southern areas, had hit a house. 

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since March when the group dragged Lebanon into the wider Middle East war by attacking Israel in support of Iran. 

Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,300 people. 

The conflict has calmed since a US-Iran memorandum of understanding and a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon was agreed in June, but Beirut still reports Israeli strikes. 

Imran Riza, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, said on X on Friday that families returning to Nabatieh following the truce "face widespread destruction, lack of basic services, ongoing insecurity and uncertainty".