Farmers of flowers in Gaza to devastate fields in protest of Israeli siege

Monday February 11, 2008 21:31

by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies

Farmers of flower in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahiya, decided Monday to devastate about 500.0000 square meters, planted with flowers, in protest against inability to export their products due to ongoing Israeli blockade on Gaza.

In a press conference, held Monday morning at the Ramattan News Agency in Gaza City by the flower farmers society, Mahmoud Khlaiyel, head of the society, described the conditions for flower farmers as 'extremely worse'.

According to Khlayiel, since the 17th of last January, the farmers have been unable to export a single flower, thus they have been inflicted financial losses estimated at five million US dollars.

Khlayiel told reporters in Gaza that the closure by Israel of the Karem Abu Salem commercial crossing in southern Gaza since December of last year, agricultural products including flowers and strawberries have not be exported.

He maintained that the farmers have not been financially compensated, a matter that has further complicated their crisis.
Speaking to IMEMC's correspondent in Gaza, Khlayiel confirmed that hundreds of flowers farmers will take part on Wednesday in a protest at the Sufa commercial crossing in southern Gaza.

He reveled that thousands of flowers will be thrown into streets of Gaza, as a sign of despair among the farmers and their families in the shadow of the Israeli closure.

In September of last year, Israel declared Gaza a 'hostile entity', and began in October a series of punitive measures including fuel and power supplies cuts, as border crossings have been declared completely sealed off.