There is a clear relationship between climate catastrophe and the planet-warming emissions resulting from the genocide in Gaza. Anyone concerned about climate change should be alarmed by what is happening in Palestine.
Over the past year, the bombs, weapons, and chemical warfare that Israel has used against the people in Gaza has set back global emissions goals by 20 years. As the international community considers the next steps for Gaza, the focus must extend beyond humanitarian relief to include environmental restoration and justice for the ecocide.
Dispossession and Colonialism
The environmental discourse surrounding Israel in general is shaped by issues of settler colonialism. For example, Israeli environmental initiatives are framed as progressive while masking increased dispossession of Palestinian lands and resources. The environmental impacts of colonialism are also seen in the West Bank, where settlers have frequently targeted Palestinian farmers, burning crops and trees under the protection of the Israeli military.
For Palestinians, the destruction of their land is a direct assault on their identity, as the olive trees symbolise their enduring connection to the soil and history of resilience. For Palestinians, the land is deeply tied to their cultural heritage and survival. Agriculture, particularly the cultivation of olive trees, plays a central role in Palestinian life. In Gaza and the West Bank, Israeli military operations and settler activities have targeted and destroyed Palestinian farmland, uprooting centuries-old olive trees. For Palestinians, this represents not only environmental loss but also an intentional erasure of their cultural ties to the land.
Unprecedented Bombardment
Israel dropped more than 25,000 tonnes of explosives on Gaza between October 7th and November 2nd. (For context, the bombing of Hiroshima equaled 15,000 tonnes.) By May it had dropped over 80,000 tons of bombs on Gaza. Among these are the GBU-43/B (MOAB) bomb, known as the “mother of all bombs”, with an explosive power of 11 tonnes and the most powerful non-nuclear explosive ever used in combat. Additionally used was the ATBIP (FOAB) – the “father of all bombs” – which has an explosive power of 44 tonnes and is the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in the world.
Climate Impacts
The greenhouse gas emissions generated during October and November 2023 were greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, and it’s estimated that the climate cost of the first 60 days of Israel’s war is equivalent to burning at least 150,000 tons of coal. This represents about 24,772 years of electricity usage for one household.
The long-term environmental damage includes emissions from reconstruction, further straining efforts to mitigate climate change. The rebuilding of Gaza, with over 100,000 buildings damaged or destroyed (200,000 including partly destroyed), will add an estimated 30 million metric tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
The irony of this situation is stark: while Gaza and other low-income regions suffer disproportionately from the impacts of climate change, wealthy nations responsible for most historical carbon emissions, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, continue to provide arms and funding to Israel, facilitating further environmental damage. The disparity in who holds the power to emit carbon, and who bears the brunt of its consequences, underscores the colonial dynamics of the devastation.
Environmental Destruction
The environmental destruction in Gaza is overwhelming. Satellite images show that between 38% and 48% of the region’s tree cover has been destroyed, with olive groves and orchards reduced to barren land. Agricultural areas essential for local food production have been systematically obliterated by bombing, turning once fertile fields into wastelands. The soil and groundwater have been contaminated by toxins, including asbestos, industrial chemicals, and munitions, leading to long-term ecological damage. The devastation has erased vast portions of Gaza’s agricultural sector, strawberry fields, olive groves, and lemon trees have been wiped out from over 80,000 tons of bombs devastating Gaza’s environment.
Toxic Waste
According to environmental reports, the Israeli military’s use of white phosphorus and depleted uranium has poisoned Gaza’s soil, water, and air. Radioactive and carcinogenic substances are now embedded in the land, posing long-term health risks to Gaza’s inhabitants and wildlife. It is estimated that a minimum of 900,000 tons of toxic waste has been accumulated, creating a toxic, uninhabitable environment for current and future generations. In addition, the breakdown of sewage plants has resulted in 130,000 cubic metres of raw sewage being discharged into the Mediterranean daily, poisoning aquatic ecosystems and affecting regional waters.
Ecocide
Many environmental activists and experts are calling this an “environmental Nakba,” referencing the 1948 catastrophe during the violent creation of the Israeli state that displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Experts argue that this scale of environmental harm amounts to “ecocide” – a deliberate act of ecosystem destruction. Israel’s scorched-earth approach intentionally makes the land uninhabitable. The consequences go beyond immediate survival (or political gain) to threaten the region’s ecological balance for generations.