Gaza left in environmental freefall after two-year war

Gaza’s water, sanitation, and energy systems are on the brink of a total collapse after nearly two years of war.

- STUTI MISHRA

As residents begin returning following a ceasefire, the region’s environmental damage could make its recovery impossible without urgent action, a new report warns.

Analysts said Gaza's ecosystems have been devastated by bombardments, almost entirely ruining croplands and water systems, leaving 2 million people at continuous risk of a humanitarian crisis.

Thousands of displaced Gazans began returning to what is left of their homes after a ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hamas. However, the study released by the Arava Institute on Wednesday estimated that 69 per cent of Gaza's infrastructure has been damaged. It warned that environmental degradation now threatens public health, food security, and regional stability.

As malnutrition rates surged to 10 times their pre-conflict levels, satellite imagery showed approximately 80 per cent of all croplands in Gaza had been either damaged or destroyed by March 2025, the report said.

"Intensive military activities, such as the movement of heavy machinery, compacts, erodes, and depletes fertile topsoil, making it difficult for vegetation to grow," the report said. It added that this devastation of fertile land is of "serious detriment" to the region's ability to feed itself. the brink,” said Dr David Lehrer, the Arava Institute’s director of applied environmental diplomacy.