Green Watch Monitoring Report !
Apartheid Israel has generated an unprecedented levels of pollution in Gaza's soil, water, and air over the past 13 months. Nonetheless Israel has surprisingly been granted a seat at COP29, the 29th edition of the UN-backed climate change conference recently held in in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The goal of COP29 is to bring nations together to achieve common objectives of tackling climate change and protecting vulnerable populations—goals that Israel has clearly undermined, especially since the onset of its devastating war against Gaza in October 2023, report TRT World.
“Israel’s inclusion in COP29 not only disrespects the Palestinian people but also contradicts the core values that the summit purports to support,” argues Ahmed Najar, a Palestinian political analyst and playwright. The UN Environment Programme has reported that Israel’s heavy bombardment has caused “unprecedented intensity of destruction” to Gaza’s productive assets, severely damaging its sewage and wastewater systems as well as solid waste management capabilities.
Approximately 44,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, and estimates suggest that over 10,000 bodies remain buried under the rubble of bombed-out homes. The extensive destruction of Gaza’s buildings and infrastructure has resulted in over 39 million tonnes of debris, some of which is contaminated with unexploded ordnance, asbestos, and other dangerous materials. “When water wells are destroyed, soil is poisoned, and entire neighborhoods lie in ruins, the land itself becomes uninhabitable. How can the international community ignore this?” Najar states.
Running with the hare, hunting with the hounds
Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories has driven ecological disaster, particularly since the conflict erupted anew, now ongoing for 411 days.
Countless reports from environmental organizations have documented how Israel's recent bombings—exacerbated by decades of resource exploitation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank—have caused a significant environmental catastrophe and inflicted irreversible damage on local communities. Israel has faced accusations of overexploiting shared water resources, leaving Palestinians with limited access to clean drinking water.
With all five wastewater treatment plants in Gaza rendered inoperable, the ongoing war has left the region’s water, sanitation, and hygiene systems nearly defunct. This situation violates the principles of environmental justice and equity that are fundamental to the objectives of COP summits. Israel has utilized US-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions, including precision-guided 450- and 900-kilogram “bunker-buster” bombs that can effectively "turn earth to liquid." Marc Garlasco, a former Pentagon defense official and war crimes investigator for the UN, explains that Israel’s bombardment “pancakes entire buildings” within Gaza. Allowing Israel to attend COP29, while it actively engages in practices harmful to both ecosystems and marginalized communities, sends a contradictory message regarding the summit’s commitment to environmental justice.
Climate destruction through military means
Covering just 139 square miles compared to Israel’s 8,355 square miles, Gaza ranks among the most densely populated regions globally. In the urban area surrounding Gaza City, the population density is around 21,000 people per square mile, in stark contrast to Tel Aviv’s 13,480. Israel’s extensive aerial bombardments have contributed to significant habitat loss, pollution, and long-lasting environmental degradation throughout the occupied territories. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor and the Global Institute for Water, Environment and Health (GIWEH), up to 97 percent of Gaza’s water is now contaminated.
The existing situation has deteriorated “substantially” due to a severe electricity crisis that hampers the operation of water wells and sewage treatment facilities. Around 80 percent of Gaza’s untreated sewage is discharged into the sea, while the remainder infiltrates underground water supplies. “Most of Gaza’s infrastructure… has been wholly or partially destroyed, an obliteration that appears intentionally designed to make life unlivable. In the past year, more bombs have fallen on Gaza per square mile than in any other area in modern history, leaving deep scars on the land,” Najar explains. In addition to the systematic targeting of water infrastructure, Israel has also destroyed a significant network of solar panels in Gaza. The number of solar panel installations in Gaza surged from just 12 in 2012 to 8,760 by 2022. However, Israel's military actions have targeted these installations, further exacerbating environmental risks by introducing “considerable contamination hazards.”
The debris from the destroyed solar panels poses new environmental threats, as indicated by a preliminary assessment of Israel’s warfare impacts on Gaza conducted by the UN Environment Programme.
“Preliminary findings during the Interim Damage Assessment reveal that the destruction of 67 MW of solar photovoltaic systems has led to the release of hazardous materials into the environment, including an estimated 1,675 kg of lead,” the report states. In a similar vein, Israel has engaged in what can be described as the "systematic uprooting" of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian olive trees. One estimate indicates that Israeli authorities have uprooted over 800,000 olive trees since 1967. To put that into perspective, this deliberate destruction is equivalent to the eradication of all 24,000 trees in New York’s Central Park 33 times. By including Israel in COP29 without demanding accountability for the ecological disaster it is causing in Gaza, the summit risks eclipsing the voices of those who are most affected by climate change. “For Palestinians, justice and environmental conservation are not luxuries, but essential for survival. The international community must take a firm stand—for both people and the planet,” says Najar, concludes TRT World.
.ico)
.webp)
.webp)
0 Comments