Ecocide in Gaza

An aerial view showing destruction in Rafah after Israeli forces withdrawal and as the ceasefire took hold, Gaza Strip.
Ashraf Amra | CC BY-SA 4.0

➡️ ECOCIDE IN GAZA – Systematic Environmental Destruction on an Unimaginable Scale

Ecocide refers to the destruction of the natural environment by deliberate or negligent human action. In regions like Gaza, where prolonged conflict has taken a severe toll, the environmental impact is profound.

Satellite analysis reveals that less than 5% of agricultural land remains suitable for cultivation and that nearly half of the territory's trees have been razed. Alongside mounting air and water pollution, toxic debris from collapsed buildings, and the destruction of sewage treatment systems, Gaza is now completely unlivable.

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A population simply cannot survive without a healthy and clean environment. Clean air, safe water, fertile soil, and arable land sustain life. Without these things, the survival and well-being of a population, its ecosystems, and biodiversity are at serious risk.

Relentless Israeli bombardment and military activities have left vast areas of Gaza reduced to rubble. This destruction extends far beyond infrastructure. The soil, contaminated with hazardous materials, has been rendered incapable of supporting even the smallest-scale farming. Water sources, which were already scarce, have been further polluted by destroyed sewage infrastructure and targeted attacks on water systems.

Israel has repeatedly prevented the reconstruction of desalination plants, landfills, and sewage disposal systems. Chronic electricity and fuel shortages prevent Palestinians from protecting their environment and pursuing any kind of sustainable development.

A grey, dusty, barren, rubble-filled landscape replaces once-thriving ecosystems. Native flora and fauna face extinction, habitats have been completely destroyed, and widespread vegetation loss has removed all chances of nature's ability to recover.

An investigation by Forensic Architecture revealed that since 2014, Palestinian farmers, in particular along Gaza's perimeter, have seen their farms regularly bulldozed and sprayed with airborne herbicides - an act of herbicidal warfare. These deliberate acts of ecocide form part of a wider pattern of depriving Palestinians of critical resources for their survival.

Questions regarding whether the ecocide in Gaza amounts to war crimes are being raised by states, institutions, and civil society. Law for Palestine, the Al Mezan Centre, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, Friends of the Earth, WILPF, and many others have called for international recognition of the environmental destruction in Gaza to be recognised as ecocide and are urging for legal accountability.

The ecological collapse in Gaza is a stark reminder of the broader environmental costs of conflict, emphasising the urgent need for global awareness and intervention to prevent further ecocide and promote urgent restoration efforts.

Input from experts is welcome.

Author: Rachael Mellor 30.07.25 licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.

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