BEIT LAHIA, Gaza Strip — Since the end of the winter storm that struck the region Dec. 12-14, brothers Mahmoud and Ashraf Filfil have devoted their time to repairing what they can of their land, which was planted with strawberries. The land had been flooded with torrential rains, causing extensive damage to the crops. The harvest had just begun at the end of November.

Every April, the brothers prepare the soil, seedlings and greenhouses for September, when the seedlings are planted. During the harvest, the strawberries are picked and marketed locally and globally.

When Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, Israel imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip. However, since 2009, strawberries have been one of the few crops that Israel allowed to be exported from the Gaza Strip to the European market. Yet, Israel prevents marketing Gaza strawberries in the West Bank, as was the case before the siege.

During the storm, the agricultural sector suffered huge losses in plants, animals and infrastructure — especially agricultural roads — because of high winds, rain and hail, which destroyed a lot of crops.