For Jamal Abu al-Naja, a father of 14, farming is like breathing. Having been in this occupation for more than 12 years, he recently planted herbs intended for European markets, attempting to defy Israeli restrictions on exports.

Piles of green basil and mint have ripened at Abu al-Naja’s field that he rented from the government in the middle of Gaza Strip, ready for export. But the plants were not to be loaded onto trucks for export. Instead, they were to be burned after becoming rotten due to Israel’s closure of the only commercial crossing point connecting it with Gaza.

Goods from the Palestinian side usually go through the Israeli border crossing of Kerem Shalom at the southern Gaza strip. But the border often closes each time the security situation deteriorates.

By the time Abu al-Naja got his three tons of basil and mint ready for export, Israel claimed that rockets were fired from Gaza towards an Israeli city. Consequently, the border was closed to all the goods, following another two weeks of closure due to Jewish holidays. Abu al-Naja estimated his loss at over $15,000.