Social media accounts have reposted a video clip of military and strategic expert Ahmed Al-Sharifi during his appearance on Al Jazeera, in which he claimed that the Al-Zaiytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, is still distinguished by its abundance of olive trees. He explained that the neighborhood was given this name “because of the abundance of olive trees,” adding: “The resistance (olive trees) can benefit from them to lure the Israeli army into a jungle war, just as they lured it into a tunnel war.”
The accounts that reposted the video denied Al-Sharifi’s statement, and reactions to the statement ranged from rejection to disapproval to mockery. This prompted Kashif to investigate the statement through live testimonies from the Gaza Strip.
Kashif verified this information and found it to be misleading. Journalist Fatima Sakin, from the Zaiytoun neighborhood, denied the claims made by military and strategic expert Ahmed Al-Sharifi. She stated that the Zaiytoun neighborhood was historically full of olive trees, but witnessed significant population density and urban expansion before 7 October 2023, at the expense of agricultural areas. Sakin added that the neighborhood was subjected to continuous and intense bombardment, and has been reduced to rubble, with no standing buildings or trees.
Journalist Salma Al-Qaddoumi from the Gaza Strip denied Ahmed Al-Sharifi’s claims, confirming that there is no density of olive trees in the Al-Zaiytoun neighborhood. She explained that the heavy bombardment and military operations by the occupation army have caused significant destruction to the neighborhood, as there are no “forests of olives and other trees.”
This was also confirmed by independent journalist Sabreen Al-Harazin, who described Al-Sharifi’s analysis as “misinformation.” She noted that the Zaiytoun neighborhood was characterized by its high population density, which led to the spread of buildings at the expense of tree density. She added that the occupation destroyed “everything green and dry,” including trees of all kinds.
Al-Harazin said that the southeastern areas of the Zaiytoun neighborhood were almost completely destroyed. Homes and infrastructure were destroyed, and movement on the roads was difficult. The Israeli occupation army was stationed in various parts of the neighborhood, launching a fierce operation and heavy shelling.
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for the Civil Defense Authority in the Gaza Strip, explained to Kashif Monitor that the Zeitoun neighborhood was once famous for its olive trees, but since October 7, the occupation has destroyed the neighborhood, bulldozing large areas of it. Since the start of the military operation announced by the occupation, the Zaiytoun neighborhood has witnessed continuous bombardment, as the occupation has increased the fire, destroyed more than 400 buildings, detonated more than 30 drones, and increased the burning of homes.
The Israeli occupation army announced that Nahal forces and the Seventh Brigade had launched a military operation in recent days in the Zaiytoun area on the outskirts of Gaza City, where the area has witnessed one of the most violent attacks since October 7. The occupation forces intensified their artillery and aerial bombardment, accompanied by incursions and widespread demolition of homes, in an attempt to seize control of the neighborhood and force its residents to flee. In parallel, the Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades carried out a series of operations targeting vehicles and soldiers inside the neighborhood, while residents described what was happening as a “systematic genocide” targeting people and stones in Zeitoun.
| Sources of verification | Source of claim |
| Journalist Fatima Sakin, journalist Salma Al-Qudomi, journalist Sabreen Al-Harazin, spokesperson for the Civil Defense Authority in the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Basal Al-Jazeera | Military and strategic expert Ahmed Al-Sharifi |