Israel’s genocide in Gaza is fuelling the climate and biodiversity crises

For over a year now, Israel has been indiscriminately carpet bombing the Middle East. In the first 60 days alone, Israel’s aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza generated an estimated 281,000 metric tonnes of CO2. This is the equivalent to burning at least 150,000 tonnes of coal; disastrous for the climate.

In January 2023, the Social Science Research Network projected that the projected emissions from the first 60 days of Israel’s genocide in Gaza were greater than the annual emissions of 20 individual countries.

However, the picture now is likely to be a lot worse – and exacerbating the climate and biodiversity crises.

The emissions of Israel’s military

The Israeli military is a substantial contributor to carbon emissions, and its operations in Gaza are no exception. Like other modern militaries, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) rely heavily on fossil fuels to power their vehicles, aircraft, and weapons systems.

This heavy reliance on fossil fuels makes militaries one of the largest institutional emitters of greenhouse gases in the world. While precise data on the IDF’s carbon footprint is often classified, estimates suggest that military activities account for a significant portion of Israel’s national greenhouse gas emissions.

For context, the US military emits more CO2 than many industrialised nations. While Israel’s military is smaller, it still relies on similarly energy-intensive machinery, including fighter jets, tanks, drones, and other vehicles that burn large amounts of jet fuel and diesel.

Estimates suggest that Israel’s defense sector could be responsible for approximately 5-10% of the country’s overall emissions, a figure that rises significantly during times of active conflict.

This increased operational intensity leads to higher fuel consumption, producing a spike in emissions that has direct implications for the global effort to mitigate the climate crisis.

IDF destruction of Gaza’s agricultural lands

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has severely impacted the region’s agricultural lands, further worsening the climate crisis. Gaza has a history of rich agricultural production, including olive trees, citrus groves, and vegetable crops.

However, repeated bombings, airstrikes, and ground operations by Israeli forces have devastated these resources. Crops have been flattened, irrigation systems destroyed, and fertile land rendered unusable.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that vast tracts of agricultural land in Gaza have been laid waste by Israel’s military actions. When crops and trees are destroyed, not only are the livelihoods of thousands of Palestinian farmers ruined, but a critical carbon sink is also lost.

For example, the olive tree absorbs 11kg of CO2 per litre of olive oil produced. Israel has damaged or destroyed at least 50% of Gaza’s olive trees. Therefore, at least 165 tonnes of CO2 that was previously captured will now not be.

Trees and crops play a significant role in capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When they are destroyed, the carbon they have stored is released back into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

Moreover, the loss of agricultural land exacerbates food insecurity in Gaza, which relies heavily on local food production to sustain its population. This destruction necessitates importing food supplies, which further increases carbon emissions due to transportation and logistics, compounding the environmental toll of Israel’s actions.

Pollution and environmental damage caused by Israel

Beyond the destruction of crops and trees, the war in Gaza has generated extensive pollution that will have long-term environmental consequences. The use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas has created toxic remnants of war.

Buildings and infrastructure reduced to rubble release hazardous substances, including heavy metals, asbestos, and other pollutants, into the soil and groundwater.

The Israeli airstrikes have also targeted essential utilities like sewage treatment plants and water facilities in Gaza, resulting in untreated waste being discharged into the environment. This has led to the contamination of water sources, which not only threatens public health but also harms local ecosystems.

Polluted water affects marine life in the Mediterranean Sea and disrupts coastal ecosystems that are crucial to biodiversity.

The toxic pollution created by Israel further complicates Gaza’s environmental recovery. Cleanup efforts will be extensive and will require significant resources, which themselves have an environmental cost. The rebuilding process, if and when it occurs, will generate a new wave of emissions from construction activities.

The carbon footprint of rebuilding Gaza

Rebuilding Gaza after the destruction caused by Israel will be a massive undertaking with a considerable carbon footprint. The energy required to manufacture, transport, and assemble building materials like concrete, steel, and glass is immense.

According to estimates from post-conflict rebuilding efforts in other parts of the world, the carbon footprint of reconstructing a single residential building can be between 200-500 tons of CO2, depending on its size and the materials used.

Given that thousands of buildings, homes, schools, and hospitals have been destroyed or severely damaged in Gaza, the carbon emissions from reconstruction will be substantial. For every ton of cement produced, about a ton of CO2 is emitted, and Gaza will require millions of tons of construction materials to rebuild its infrastructure.

The largest carbon emission output cited in one analysis is estimated to be between 46.8 million and 60 million tonnes CO2e – higher than the annual emissions of more than 135 countries.

These emissions will add significantly to the already high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, driving further climate instability.

Moreover, the destruction and subsequent rebuilding cycles in Gaza have a cumulative effect on global emissions.

Every time infrastructure is destroyed and rebuilt, the energy-intensive processes involved contribute to a larger carbon footprint. This cycle of destruction and reconstruction perpetuates not only human suffering but also the degradation of the environment.

An environmental catastrophe

Israel’s genocide in Gaza is more than a humanitarian crisis. It is an environmental catastrophe that fuels the global climate crisis. The emissions from military operations, the destruction of vital agricultural resources, the pollution resulting from the bombings, and the massive carbon footprint of future reconstruction all add to the cumulative impact of Israel’s genocide on our planet.

Featured image via the Canary