A recent study has revealed that the carbon cost of repairing the immense destruction caused by the Israeli occupation army in Gaza will surpass the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 135 individual countries, further exacerbating the global climate emergency.
The British newspaper “The Guardian” published details of the study conducted by researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States, highlighting the catastrophic environmental impacts of reconstructing Gaza.
The study indicates that rebuilding an estimated 200,000 residential buildings, schools, universities, hospitals, mosques, bakeries, and water and sewage treatment plants destroyed by the Israeli occupation army during the first four months of the war on Gaza will generate up to 60 million tons of CO2 equivalent.
This is comparable to the total emissions of countries like Portugal and Sweden in 2022, and more than double the annual emissions of Afghanistan.
The Effects of War on the Climate
The newspaper explained that the air and ground attacks during the first 120 days of the war on Gaza have produced greenhouse gas emissions exceeding the annual carbon footprint of 26 countries worldwide.
Over 99% of the estimated 652,552 metric tons of CO2 generated in the first four months after October 7 is attributed to the Israeli airstrikes and ground invasion of Gaza.
Approximately 30% of the total CO2 emissions were generated by 244 American cargo planes known to transport bombs, ammunition, and other military supplies to ‘Israel’.
Environmental and Economic Damages
The huge Israeli bombardment in Gaza has left approximately 26 million tons of debris and rubble, which could take years to clear.
The study revealed that the carbon cost of the first 120 days of the Israeli assault on Gaza was equivalent to the annual combined energy use of about 77,200 American households.
It is estimated that between 54% and 66% of all buildings in the Gaza Strip were destroyed or damaged by February 14, with the economic cost of the damages estimated at around $18.5 billion.
Impacts on Vegetation and Ecosystem
Satellite images have shown that nearly half of the tree cover and agricultural land in the Gaza enclave has been destroyed.
The hazardous materials, in addition, left by Israeli munitions pose a long-term threat to the entire ecosystem.
International legal experts have pointed out that the destruction of homes and living conditions in Gaza amounts to ecocide and a crime against humanity, noting that ‘Israel’ is committing acts aimed at rendering the area uninhabitable.
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