GAZA, (PIC)
The eastern areas of central Gaza Strip, especially the vicinity of the al-Bureij and al-Maghazi refugee camps, are witnessing an escalation in the outbreak of fires during the recent period, amid field data and local testimonies suggesting the use of incendiary means via Israeli drones, which led to significant losses in agricultural lands.
According to field sources, the fires extended during the last week over wide areas of agricultural lands in the eastern areas, and caused significant damage to crops and fruitful trees, in light of the difficulty of explaining the reasons for the outbreak of the fires.
Repeated field scene and rapid losses
In the field, farmers describe the scene as repeating itself remarkably, as the fires start in more than one point almost simultaneously, before spreading very quickly inside the agricultural lands, which makes controlling them almost impossible in the first minutes.
One of the farmers, Abu Muhammad al-Boubli, from the eastern al-Bureij area, recounts that a fire broke out suddenly in his land during the daytime hours.
He said, “We were working in the land and suddenly we saw smoke rising from more than one direction, the fire spread very quickly and we could not do anything, I lost the whole season.”
In the eastern al-Maghazi area, another farmer describes the scale of the losses by saying, “The land burned within a very short time, the olive trees and crops are completely gone, and there are no capabilities to stop the fire or control it.”
Residents from the area indicate that the recurrence of fires in the same eastern extension has created a state of permanent anxiety, especially with the difficulty of safe access to those areas in some periods, and the transformation of large parts of them into semi-abandoned agricultural areas.
A resident of al-Bureij camp says, “Every period we see fire in the same direction, there has become a fear of approaching the lands, people are no longer able to work like before.”
Field data on the nature of the fires
Field testimonies from different areas indicate the monitoring of Israeli drones in the skies of the area before the outbreak of a number of fires, coinciding with the ignition of fires in separate points quickly and unconventionally, which reinforced the hypothesis of using highly flammable materials.
Ismail Maghari, a farmer from eastern al-Bureij, describes the first moments of the fire, “The fire was not natural, it was spreading in a strange and fast way, as if it was walking with one direction and moving from point to point.”
While a young man from the area points to the difficulty of dealing with these fires, “Extinguishing the fire is almost impossible, there is no equipment or rapid access roads, everything happens within minutes.”
Field estimates regarding motives
Estimates related to monitoring the field situation see that this pattern of targeting may aim to increase pressure on the residents in the eastern areas, and push them gradually towards more crowded areas in the west of the Strip, such as Mawasi Khan Yunis, the al-Nuseirat camp, and Deir al-Balah.
Other estimates are linking the recurrence of fires and the reduction of agricultural and residential cover in areas close to the border, which gradually changes the nature of the civilian presence in them.
Agricultural losses and living pressure
The repeated fires led to the destruction of wide areas of agricultural lands, which included seasonal crops and fruitful trees, which reflected directly on the income of tens of families who depend on agriculture as a primary source of livelihood.
The farmer Maghari explains the scale of the crisis by saying, “Every fire means a year lost from our fatigue, there is no compensation and no ability to return to plant quickly, the situation has become very harsh.”
Fears of expanding displacement
In light of the continuation of these fires, fears are increasing that they will lead to a new wave of displacement from the eastern areas towards the center and west of the Strip, where those areas already suffer from severe overcrowding and a shortage of basic services.
Local residents confirm that the continuation of pressure on agricultural lands may lead to a gradual change in the map of stability inside the Strip, with the shrinkage of areas suitable for living and working.
These developments come in light of the continuation of the ceasefire agreement that was reached in October 2025. The Israeli two-year war on the Strip had resulted in tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, according to official Palestinian data.
Despite the agreement, field reports continue to point to repeated Israeli violations and difficult humanitarian conditions, in light of a severe shortage of food, medical materials, and shelter materials.