Israel continues its daily massacres in the Gaza Strip, one year into what has become a war of annihilation. The death toll has surpassed 40,000, and the Netanyahu government continues to obstruct efforts toward a ceasefire. At the same time, a polio vaccination campaign is underway after the virus was detected in sewage samples from Gaza.

Destruction, ongoing displacement, the lack of basic living conditions, the collapse of infrastructure, and contamination of groundwater and agricultural land—all of these factors are part of a strategy of extermination, systematically eliminating the very conditions necessary for life in Gaza.

According to recent UN sources, based on calculations of the number of trucks and the limited opening days of the sealed border crossings, efforts to provide displaced families in Gaza with proper winterized tents could take two years. The Israeli-imposed restrictions and blockade mean that even temporary shelters, like tents, cannot provide safety or security, as the war of annihilation denies any chance for stability, whether in a tent or a shelter.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army is deliberately targeting Gaza’s environment. The destruction has affected vital sectors like water infrastructure, sewage treatment, solid and liquid waste management, and soil quality. There has been significant harm to the air quality as well, coupled with noise pollution from constant bombardments. All of this has contributed to the spread of diseases and epidemics, leaving Gaza’s population facing the threat of death from an environmental catastrophe deliberately inflicted by the Israeli military.

“Toxic Swamps” and a Breeding Ground for Disease

In a report by the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza, we see how the Israeli army has systematically destroyed the Gaza Strip’s water sector, a key environmental component, causing severe suffering for the residents. Access to a minimum supply of clean water, particularly for displaced persons, has become nearly impossible due to the destruction of water wells and supply networks. This has led to the spread of skin infections, respiratory illnesses, and hepatitis.

In an interview with Daraj, Samir Zakout, Deputy Director of Al Mezan, explained: “The systematic destruction of water wells and supply networks has led to a critical reduction in the amount of water available to residents. The decline in water supply has reached nearly 70 percent of the total volume usually pumped through the networks, leaving individuals with barely eight liters of water per day.”

The report notes that the Israeli army has destroyed around 70 percent of Gaza’s water infrastructure. Approximately 180,000 meters of water pipelines have been completely or partially destroyed, and 203 of Gaza’s 319 groundwater wells are no longer operational due to complete destruction or inaccessibility. In addition, around 33 of Gaza’s 50 main water reservoirs have been destroyed, alongside more than 500 water distribution points and valves.

The destruction has also severely impacted sewage networks, leaving untreated waste to flow among the rubble and makeshift camps, especially since many treatment plants, pumping stations, and sewage pipelines have been destroyed. This has created “toxic swamps” of contaminated water that foster the spread of diseases and provide breeding grounds for harmful insects.

The report also documents the destruction of hundreds of kilometers of sewage pipelines, five central treatment plants, and 45 pumping stations that have been rendered completely or partially inoperative. Additionally, more than 5,000 meters of stormwater drainage pipes have been damaged. The remaining pipes are blocked by debris, causing sewage to flood streets and even some shelters, forming large contaminated pools.

As a result of this destruction, untreated sewage is being dumped directly into the sea, with more than 130,000 cubic meters of raw sewage flowing into Gaza’s waters each day. This has created a severe environmental crisis, especially as large numbers of displaced people have set up tents along the shoreline, seeking refuge from the intense heat in the beach sand. The contamination has spread from the sea to these displaced families and their belongings, further exacerbated by every tide that brings polluted water ashore.

In the absence of official testing, it is estimated that more than 85 percent of Gaza’s seawater may be contaminated, which poses significant health risks for those who depend on the sea. Fishermen, lifeguards, swimmers, and displaced people using the beach as their last resort for relief are all affected by the dangerous levels of pollution in the waters and on the shore.

Mountains of Waste

The war of annihilation has devastated Gaza’s solid waste management sector, resulting in hundreds of tons of waste piling up in the streets and public squares, especially around displaced persons’ camps.

According to the report, waste production in central and southern Gaza has surged to 1,400 tons per day, compared to just 500 tons before the war. Around 500,000 tons of waste have accumulated in 40 temporary dumpsites, with the spread of random landfills. In Gaza City and the northern region, 210,000 tons of waste have piled up in 150 makeshift dumpsites. Waste sorting at Gaza’s public hospitals has ceased, where non-hazardous waste was previously produced at a rate of 3,471.5 kg per day, alongside 33 kg of hazardous waste.

Military strikes have generated enormous quantities of debris from destroyed homes and buildings, with 79,000 housing units completely obliterated and over 25,010 buildings demolished. Another 290,000 housing units have been partially damaged, alongside significant destruction of public and private infrastructure.

Destroying the Soil and Green Cover; Polluting the Air

The war’s impact on Gaza’s soil is immeasurable. Massive explosions have damaged both urban and agricultural soil, causing devastating losses, particularly to plant and animal agriculture. Farmers and agricultural workers are suffering greatly, and the destruction has also affected livestock, including cattle and sheep, and poultry farms. Fish farms have been entirely wiped out, either by bombings or by the lack of resources to sustain them due to the power and supply shortages.

According to the report, the Israeli army has bulldozed and destroyed between 38-48 percent of Gaza’s tree cover and over 65 square kilometers of agricultural land. The army deliberately targeted old, large trees, such as palm, sycamore, mulberry, and fruit trees, as well as eucalyptus and cypress trees, which help prevent soil erosion and stabilize the climate. The destruction of green cover has also severely affected Gaza’s biodiversity, which includes 150-200 species of birds, both native and migratory, especially in the Wadi Gaza region, further contributing to the environmental annihilation.

Samir Zakout noted that air pollution from the war of annihilation is extensive. Smoke from the bombings, heavy aerial and artillery strikes on residential and agricultural areas, and the use of smoke bombs and white phosphorus shells by Israel have all contributed to severe air pollution.

The sheer volume of explosives—an estimated 85,000 tons—used by Israeli forces has destroyed 80 percent of Gaza’s urban infrastructure and 90 percent of its critical infrastructure. In addition, the gas emissions from the enormous quantities of explosives have further polluted the region.

The effects of these explosions extend beyond Gaza, affecting neighboring countries, as dust and microscopic particles, including metals and other substances, are carried eastward across the Mediterranean. These particles pose a significant environmental hazard, as they can be inhaled and absorbed into the body and food supply, with catastrophic consequences.

Noise Pollution

Samir Zakout also highlighted the persistent noise pollution suffered by Gaza’s residents, caused by the continuous sound of explosions, the constant presence of warplanes, and particularly the unceasing hum of drones. This noise has profound health, neurological, and psychological effects on the population.

Readings taken by the Al Mezan Center using a mobile noise meter app during various times of the day revealed high noise levels far exceeding the permissible limits set by international treaties, particularly the standards of the World Health Organization.

Those who aren’t killed by missiles are killed by hunger, thirst, disease, and epidemics. And those treated for these diseases are killed once again by missiles. There is no vaccine to protect against missiles, hunger, thirst, insects, rodents, or the mountains of waste piled between the displaced and the local population.