According to Palestinian farmers on Tuesday, melon, watermelon, okra, and wheat fields close to Israeli checkpoints were sprayed with "poisonous pesticides" and weed killers.

Local farmers have said that Israeli troops spray weed killers to dry wild plants around security fences in order to have clear vision to watch the area, but they usually spray dozens of meters around their targeted areas, killing and damaging Palestinian crops.

In January, a similar incident occurred in Khan Yunis where Israeli forces sprayed weed killers on crops and burnt them.

A Gaza Ministry of Agriculture authority, Wael Thabet, said that the ministry has on multiple occasions called on rights groups to intervene and halt Israel's actions, adding that the Israelis "didn't respond positively and claimed that the process is meant to get rid of wild plants and weeds."

He noted that around 30 percent of the besieged Gaza Strip's agricultural space is located in areas which are sprayed by Israeli forces.