An interview broadcast on official Palestinian Authority television accusing Israel of targeting Gaza Strip agriculture. Photo: Palestinian Media Watch

Official Palestinian Authority television has falsely claimed that Israel deliberately intended to destroy the agricultural capacity of the Gaza Strip during the 11-day conflict in May between Israel and the terror group Hamas.

According to a translation by the watchdog group Palestinian Media Watch, the program Anew broadcast an interview with a nursery owner and a farmer in Gaza, who agreed with the program’s host that Israel intentionally attacked the Strip’s agricultural sites.

“Do you think that the occupation wanted to bomb the agricultural nurseries in order to stop the agricultural process and cycle?” the host asked.

The nursery owner simply said, “Yes.”

The farmer, identified as Ahmed Al-Louh, also said, “Yes.”

“In the last war in the Gaza Strip the occupation wanted to destroy the agricultural cycle completely,” Al-Louh said.

“Why? Because the nurseries are considered the supporting pillar of the farmers and the agriculture in the Gaza Strip,” he charged. “If the nursery is destroyed, the agricultural industry will not grow.”

The interviewees and the host presented no evidence that this was the case.