Prior to October of 2023, Gaza was filled with olive groves, lush fields, and hundreds of different species. Now, as a result of the war between Israel and Palestine, Gaza’s natural world is in a dire state. In 1947, the British Mandate of Palestine marked the beginning of seemingly endless conflict. From the October 7th, 2023 massacre on Israeli’s, “the Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces have committed and are continuing to commit the following actus reus of genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip” (UN Comission of Inquiry), as well as extreme mistreatment by Hamas of its own people.
As much as this conflict has affected people, it has also impacted the environment. The term “ecocide,” first coined during the Vietnam War, has been used to describe the environmental situation.
The main environmental issue in Gaza right now is access to drinking water. Palestinians are forced to drink water from potentially contaminated sources, as water treatment facilities are currently out of action. This is due to bombings by Israel, which have destroyed the majority of infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Groundwater and the sea, other sources of drinking water, have been contaminated by sewage spills, as sewage treatment plants have also been damaged. According to the United Nations, the consumption of contaminated water has led to a surge of infectious diseases, “including cases of acute watery diarrhea (which has increased 36-fold) and acute jaundice syndrome, indicative of hepatitis A, (which has increased 382-fold)” (Environmental Damage in Gaza Strip). The other major water source for Gazans is water delivered from Israel via pipeline. However, deliveries have seen a significant reduction due to the war. Israel has not seen the same impacts as they obtain water from other sources. Most of their water is desalinated from the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River.
The water crisis has also impacted wildlife. The Wadi Gaza, Gaza’s main river, is an extremely important resource for wildlife. The river has been contaminated by debris, wastewater, corpses, ammunition, and explosives (Pearce). Al-Mawasi, a narrow fertile strip of sand dunes and wetlands near the Egyptian border, is also integral to wildlife. Al-Mawasi has been continuously bombed by Israel, despite being designated a “safe zone” for Gazans fleeing their homes. The bombings have damaged the ecosystem further, resulting in a near total loss of trees. Hamas’ extensive underground tunnel system, created to aid in their own warfare, has also caused significant damage to Al-Mawasi, as they have destroyed the topsoil and reach up to forty feet deep. Trees have not only been wiped out in Al-Mawasi, but throughout the rest of the Gaza Strip. 80% of trees have been lost. Trees are able to process carbon dioxide and produce clean oxygen, so the loss of them has contributed to Gaza’s already unsafe air quality. Additionally, the use of White Phosphorus by the Israel Defense Forces has contaminated soil. The soil now “contains radioactive and carcinogenic elements” (Badri). This has resulted in the loss of crops, which contributes to the ongoing famine in Gaza.
Gaza’s environment could reach a point of no return if any of this continues. In order to protect not only Gaza’s people, but also its environment, there must be a permanent ceasefire and an effort by both Non Government Organizations and government organizations to restore Gaza’s many ecosystems.
References:
Badri, Noor. “| UC Global Health Institute.” Universityofcalifornia.edu, 2024, ucghi.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/ecocide-gaza-israels-genocide-gaza-will-create-unprecedented-environmental-health-crisis/.
“Environmental Damage in Gaza Strip Harming Human Health, Threatening Long-Term Food and Water Security – New UNEP Report.” UN Environment, 2025, www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/environmental-damage-gaza-strip-harming-human-health-threatening.
Pearce, Fred. “After the War, the Environmental Devastation in Gaza Runs Deep.” Yale E360, 6 Feb. 2025, e360.yale.edu/features/gaza-war-environment.
“Israel Is Intentionally Depriving Palestinians of Water.” Doctors without Borders – USA, 2025, www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/israel-intentionally-depriving-palestinians-water.
“Water Resources in Israel.” Fanack Water, 5 June 2023, water.fanack.com/israel/water-resources-in-israel/.