760 Israeli environmental violations documented in West Bank as Gaza faces widespread devastation

In a statement on Friday marking the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, the authority said the violations included bulldozing farmland, uprooting trees, burning crops, destroying water infrastructure and dumping hazardous waste.

Environmental catastrophe in Gaza

The EQA warned that Gaza faces an unprecedented environmental and humanitarian catastrophe, with an estimated 61 million to 68 million tons of rubble, equivalent to 107 kilograms of debris per square meter.

The debris reportedly contains around four million tons of hazardous waste, at least 50,000 tons of asbestos and more than 100,000 tons of explosive remnants, ammunition and white phosphorus.

According to the authority, Zionist regime’s military operations have destroyed or damaged 82% of agricultural land, 97% of fruit-bearing and olive trees, and 95% of vegetation cover.

The Wadi Gaza nature reserve, a major migratory bird corridor, has also been contaminated by sewage.

The war has destroyed 84% of water and sanitation infrastructure, resulting in approximately 120,000 cubic meters of untreated wastewater flowing daily into streets and water systems.

The authority reported a 36-fold increase in watery diarrhea cases and a 384-fold increase in jaundice cases compared with prewar levels.

West Bank farmland, trees and water sources targeted

In the West Bank, the EQA recorded 203 violations affecting agricultural land and nature reserves, including the destruction of olive groves, construction of settlement roads and seizure of land.

It documented another 178 attacks on forests and vegetation, including the uprooting of approximately 100,000 olive trees, with estimated losses of $67 million.

The authority also recorded 185 incidents involving demolition debris and hazardous waste, particularly in Jenin and Tulkarem.

Inspection teams intercepted attempts to illegally transport hazardous waste, including 40,000 kilograms of asphalt-related street waste and 1,816 kilograms of hazardous medical and expired materials.

Another 52 incidents targeted livestock and food security, including livestock theft and the deliberate destruction of crops.

The report documented 37 attacks on wells and water sources, 35 on water pipelines and irrigation networks, and five on sewage infrastructure.

The destruction of water pipelines reportedly deprived approximately 450 residents of water in the Birin area and another 700 in the al-Khalil governorate.

The authority also reported untreated sewage being discharged from Israeli settlements onto Palestinian agricultural land and school grounds, contaminating soil and groundwater.

Calls for international accountability

The EQA described the documented violations as environmental war crimes, saying they breach international humanitarian law, including relevant provisions of the Rome Statute and the Geneva Conventions.

It warned that the destruction threatens Palestinians’ livelihoods, natural resources and historical landscape.

The authority urged the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities, end the Israeli occupation and safeguard Palestinians’ right to self-determination and control over their natural resources.