Gaza's environmental devastation: The hidden horrors of war

Amid the ongoing war in Gaza since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, the environmental landscape is undergoing a crisis not of Palestinian making but, instead, a consequence of Israel's actions.

This crisis manifests in an alarming rise in climate pollution within Palestinian territories, fueled by the Israeli military's daily burning of tons of fossil fuels in its war on the Gaza Strip.

Simultaneously, Israel employs various internationally prohibited weapons, including phosphorus, contributing to environmental degradation.

In Israel's war on Gaza, weaponry is not the sole cause of pollution; the military siege imposed on the Strip has led to a massive waste crisis.

Methane emissions from tons of accumulated waste throughout the region pose a serious environmental threat. Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas globally, generates a staggering 1800 tons of solid waste daily, based on 2022 statistics.

The environmental and health catastrophe that Gaza is experiencing is unimaginable. The far-reaching ecological consequences of Israel's war on Gaza will become evident in the soil, water, sea, and air.

Additionally, the presence of hundreds of bodies under the rubble threatens the spread of diseases and epidemics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the accumulation of debris and the dust rising from it can lead to asbestos poisoning, causing Gaza's residents to suffer from pulmonary fibrosis and various types of cancer.