GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Ibrahim Abu Freina, a Palestinian farmer from the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, heads out to his 10 acres of land every morning to check on his crop of zaatar, popularly known as wild thyme.

Abu Freina, 35, boasts of being the first farmer in the Gaza Strip to grow and produce zaatar, which is often used to make the condiment that goes by the same name. He started planting the herb two years ago.

“I had three dunams (0.7 acres) of land, where I had olive trees and grapevines, and I used to sell the crops on local markets for a pittance, nothing more than 6,000 shekels ($1,700) per year," he said. "I could barely make ends meet. I decided to look for an additional source of income, so I went to the Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza in mid-2017 and rented 40 dunams of land for $8,000 a year. I planted it with zaatar with the help of my five children.”

Though common in the mountainous areas of the West Bank, zaatar does not exist in Gaza Strip. Abu Freina’s attempts to grow it raised some eyebrows. He also invested in a special grinder so he can sell zaatar as a condiment. Some local apothecaries also buy it as a remedy for throat congestion, asthma and chest pain. The crop ended up providing a good income, Abu Freina said.