Environmental damage in the Gaza Strip caused by the Israel–Hamas war

The environmental damage of Gaza caused by the Israel–Hamas war is extensive, due to a combination of destruction of agricultural land, displacement of people, bombing and the Israeli blockade. By March 2024, nearly half of tree cover and farmland had been destroyed by Israeli forces by bulldozers and bombs.

Israeli bombardment and the blockade has led to a total collapse of Gaza's civil infrastructure, including sewage treatment, waste disposal, water management, and fuel supplies. Water has been polluted by 100,000 cubic metres of sewage being discharged into the sea every day due to Israel cutting off fuel supplies. Groundwater has been contaminated by toxins and munitions and air has been polluted by smoke and particulates from bombing. Soils have been degraded by uprooting trees and contaminated by toxins, munitions, heavy bombing and demolitions. Bombing by the Israeli army has created 22.9 million tonnes of debris and hazardous material, much of which contains human remains.

Pollution

Between 7 October 2023 and April 2024 the Israeli military has dropped 10,000s of bombs on Gaza, with 50% to 62% of all buildings damaged or destroyed by January 2024. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that the bombing by Israel has created 22.9 million tonnes of debris and hazardous material, much of which contains human remains. UNEP has found that heavy bombardment of populated areas like the Gaza strip contaminates soils and groundwater for the long term. This is caused through the munitions themselves and when damaged and destroyed buildings release hazardous materials including asbestos, fuel and industrial chemicals into the air, soil and groundwater. UNEP state:

This is an extremely large amount of debris, especially for such a small area... components of the debris and rubble can contain harmful substances like asbestos, heavy metals, fire contaminants, unexploded ordnance, and hazardous chemicals.

The siege has resulted in the total collapse of Gaza's civil infrastructure; sewage treatment, waste disposal, water management, fuel supplies have all broken down. In the 150 days since 7 October, 70,000 tonnes of solid waste had accumulated in Gaza with 60 informal waste dumps being created in central and southern Gaza. On 7 October 2023 Israel cut off Gaza's fuel supplies, the resulting power cuts meant that wastewater could not be pumped to the treatment plants. This has led to 100,000 cubic metres of sewage being discharged into the sea every day. Groundwater has been contaminated by toxins and munitions. Soils have been degraded by uprooting trees and contaminated by toxins, munitions, heavy bombing and demolitions. The air in Gaza has been polluted by smoke and particulates from bombing.

Destruction

Overview

By March 2024 38–48% of tree cover and farmland had been destroyed by Israeli forces by using bulldozers and bombing. Investigative journalists Bellingcat have found that 1,740 hectares (4,300 acres) of land has been cleared in the area south of Gaza City for Israeli forces to build a new road, Route 749, which runs across the entire width of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network “The Israeli occupation has completely damaged all elements of life and all environmental elements in Gaza – they completely destroyed the agriculture and wildlife". Reuters has described the damage done to Gaza by Israeli as turning it into a 'wasteland'.

Destruction of farmland, orchards and forests

Before 7 October 2023, around 170 km² (65 sq miles) of the Gaza strip was farms and orchards, 47% of Gaza's total land area. By the end of February 2024 satellite data showed that the Israeli military had destroyed more than 65 km² of farms and orchards (38% of the total). Tractors, tanks and vehicles were used by Israli forces to uproot the orchards and fields of crops. In total 2,000 agricultural sites, including farms and greenhouses had destroyed and have often been replaced with Israeli military earthworks. Of the 7,500 greenhouses around a third have been entirely destroyed, 90% have been destroyed by Israeli troops in the north of Gaza and around 40% in Khan Younis.

Between 7 October and 21 March 48% of Gaza's tree cover has been lost or damaged by the Israeli military and by people trapped in Gaza cutting wood for cooking and heating due to the fuel blockade.

Research by the University of London research group Forensic Architecture found that since 2014, Palestinian farms bordering Gaza's perimeter have had crops sprayed by airborne herbicides and have been regularly bulldozed. Farmers have been fired at by Israeli occupation forces snipers. Israel has indicated it wants to create a permanent 'buffer zone' around Gaza, where much of the agricultural land was located. Research by Forensic Architecture found that “along that engineered ‘border,’ sophisticated systems of fences and surveillance reinforce a military buffer zone”. The IDF has claimed that it "does not intentionally harm agricultural land".

Impact on human health

Famine

Main article: Gaza Strip famine

Due to a combination of destruction of agricultural land, displacement of people, boming and the Israeli blockade, the Gaza Strip is experiencing famine with most of the population there at imminent risk of starvation.

Long term impact

The Dutch peace organisation PAX has stated: “War generally collapses everything. In Gaza, it’s making people exposed to additional risks from pollution, from polluted groundwater. It’s the destruction of anything the civilian population depends on.”

University of London research group Forensic Architecture have described the destruction as systematic and that the Israeli military are intentional targeting of the Gaza's agriculture, stating “What’s left is devastation... an area that is no longer livable”. They said:

The targeted farms and greenhouses are fundamental to local food production for a population already under a decades-long siege.... the effects of this systematic agricultural destruction are exacerbated by other deliberate acts of deprivation of critical resources for Palestinian survival in Gaza.

Ecocide

Main article: Ecocide

The size and lasting impact of the destruction have led to calls for the Israeli Government to be investigated for the war crime for ecocide under the Rome Statute for “widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment”.

University of London research group Forensic Architecture research project "No Traces of Life, Ecocide in Gaza 2023 – 2024" found that “The destruction of agricultural land and infrastructure in Gaza is a deliberate act of ecocide... the targeted farms and greenhouses are fundamental to local food production for a population already under a decades-long siege. The effects of this systematic agricultural destruction are exacerbated by other deliberate acts of deprivation of critical resources for Palestinian survival in Gaza”.

Saeed Bagheri, Reading University lecturer in international law stated "there are enough grounds to investigate the damage done to Gaza’s environment".

The Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network has stated "What is happening is, for sure, ecocide... [It] is completely damaging the environment in Gaza for the long term, not only for the short term.