Israeli strikes leave Gaza buried under 68M tonnes of rubble

Gaza is facing an estimated 61 million to 68 million tonnes of rubble from buildings destroyed during Israel’s war, with the debris containing hazardous waste, asbestos and remnants of explosives, according to the Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority.

The authority said the accumulated debris amounted to around 107 kg per square metre of the Gaza Strip. It estimated that the rubble contained four million tonnes of hazardous waste, at least 50,000 tonnes of asbestos and more than 100,000 tonnes of explosives, ammunition and white phosphorus remnants.

The figures were released in a statement posted on Facebook on Friday, November 6, marking the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.

The destruction has extended to Gaza’s agricultural land and natural vegetation. Around 82 per cent of agricultural land has been destroyed or bulldozed, while 97 per cent of fruit-bearing and olive trees and 95 per cent of vegetation cover have been lost, the authority said.

Wadi Gaza Nature Reserve, an important stop along migratory bird routes, has also been affected by sewage contamination, according to the statement.

Sewage crisis adds to Gaza’s environmental damage

Damage to water and sanitation facilities has compounded the crisis, with 84 per cent of Gaza’s water and sewage infrastructure destroyed, the authority estimated.

Around 120,000 cubic metres of untreated sewage are discharged daily into streets and water basins, contributing to the spread of disease. Cases of watery diarrhoea have reached 36 times their pre-war levels, while jaundice cases have increased 384-fold, it said.

100,000 olive trees uprooted in West Bank

The Environmental Quality Authority also documented 760 environmental violations by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank between January and September 2026.

Around 100,000 olive tree had been uprooted by the end of September, causing estimated losses of 67 million USD, the authority said. Its records also included attacks on agricultural land, nature reserves, water sources, irrigation networks and sewage infrastructure.

The authority said the documented incidents constituted environmental war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and cited alleged violations of international humanitarian law.

Gaza war death toll exceeds 74,000

Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023 has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and wounded over 175,000 others, in addition to causing widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, 2025, Israeli violations have continued. These incidents have killed 1,602 Palestinians and wounded another 5,799, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

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