As of October 7th, 2024, Palestine has experienced a year of relentless bombardment by the Israeli government on civilians, land, and infrastructure. Many international governing bodies recognize this now as genocide and ecocide. The Independent Expert Panel (IEP), convened by the Stop Ecocide Foundation, defines ecocide as “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts.” Just examining the environmental impact, food systems, potable drinking water, infrastructure, generations-old farms and orchards, and breathable air have all been targets of Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip. Due to the environmental damage and consequences, the actions taken by Israel guarantee that this genocide will not only affect the over 40,000 lives already taken but also prevent life from flourishing and prospering for decades to come.
Food Systems Under Attack
Much of Israel’s efforts to eradicate and subdue Palestinians have surrounded targeting food supplies and systems, as seen in the blockade of humanitarian routes and the Flour Massacre of February 2024. As their tactics evolve and become more calculated, Israel has not only destroyed access to existing food supplies but has adopted a scorch-Earth policy that destroys farmable land for generations to come. The genocide and consequential ecocide that has occurred in Gaza is swiftly driving the population into famine. According to the International Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), famine is imminent throughout the Gaza Strip, and 70% of North Gaza is classified as experiencing catastrophic food insecurity. Israel now is weaponizing starvation as a tactic to subvert Gazan citizens, through blockades, destruction, and bombardment of vital food systems. The destruction of vital farming fields, historically significant land, and infrastructure did not begin only a year ago but has been occurring since Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands started. Since Israel occupied Palestine the destruction of historically, culturally, and environmentally significant land has been a means for Israel to further their military conquest.
Further Environmental Consequences
According to scholars Tracey Banivanua Mar and Penelope Edmonds, settler colonialism entirely hinges on forcing native populations out and settling and building upon the land. Such is why, as Israel currently launches a settler colonial project, so much of the efforts to subjugate Gaza involve destruction and seizing of land. In fact, Israel has maintained a land, air, and sea blockade on Gaza since 2007, which has limited Gaza’s ability to produce and import food.
Since the genocide began in October, and as of March 2024, over 40% of Gaza’s farmable land has been destroyed. By targeting Gaza’s food systems, Israel has been subjecting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to forced starvation as a part of their destructive tactics. As one of Gaza’s main industries is agriculture, the destruction of farmable lands is economically devastating, not to mention the cultural importance of farms passed down from generations.
Beyond agricultural destruction, Israel has targeted Gaza’s potable water supplies and waste management systems, which threatens further public health crises. Israel has deliberately destroyed 60% of Gaza’s waste management and treatment facilities. Consequently, water-borne diseases become increasingly rampant and affect the population as sewage runs through the streets. Reports find that aerial and artillery bombings contribute to increased concentration of smoke and poisonous gases in the air. Israel’s relentless destruction of vital infrastructure, bulldozing of trees and land, and deliberative attacks on water sources all lead to the reduced amount of oxygen released and contribute to the desertification of the Gaza Strip. The relentless bombing of civilian settlements is now combined with the purposeful spreading of diseases, which further weakens an already vulnerable population. These attacks have resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, made worse by the ecological destruction that hampers the provision of aid.
Recommendations and Conclusion
An immediate ceasefire is needed now to put a stop to the imminent deaths of Palestinian citizens. However, even a truce will not be enough to prevent the deaths of citizens trying to survive in uninhabitable land. Post-conflict rehabilitation will require extensive reparation of agricultural land and infrastructure. Researchers should continue to take advantage of satellite imagery and remote sensing to properly assess damages and the scale of food insecurity in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, international governing bodies must recognize the definition of ecocide as a violation of inherent human rights, specifically the International Court of Justice. This would result in the conviction of Israel for war crimes of genocide and ecocide. Much of Israel’s current efforts to militarily occupy Gaza indicate intentions of a permanent military presence, so the two states must be willing to negotiate the liberation and release of Palestinian lands. As scholars find, ecological violence is a real and prevalent occurrence and is strongly linked to collective memory across generations. Environmental justice and justice for Palestinians are certainly interconnected. A sustainable future for all those in the region is only possible by reversing the Israeli colonial project and returning ancestral, agricultural, and essential lands back into the hands of Palestinians.
References
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