In this landscape of devastation, human damage and environmental damage become two sides of the same crisis.

Once the surface debris is cleared, what emerges is an ecologically devastated environment. The territory is soaked with toxic substances and war residues, a problem that requires long-term efforts.

Already in 2024, researchers had shown how the war had turned agricultural and forested land into barren, uncultivable ground. Satellite images, photos and videos reveal that at least 50% of fields and orchards have been wiped out by relentless bombing, and about 23% of greenhouses have been destroyed or rendered unusable due to lack of electricity [5].

“It’s whole orchards gone, only soil left; you don’t see a single thing.”

(Dr. He Yin, assistant professor, Geography Department, Kent State University [5])

Besides the rubble from buildings and destroyed farmland, remnants of munitions—both exploded and unexploded—are scattered across the entire Gaza Strip. The whole area requires massive decontamination operations, which currently make it impossible to farm or use water safely. Not only the soil, but also surface water and groundwater may be contaminated. The ecological damage is so severe that Gaza’s case has been described as “ecocide” [5].

“What is happening is, for sure, ecocide. It is completely damaging the environment in Gaza for the long term, not only for the short term. Palestinian people have a strong relationship with the land – they are very connected to their land and also to the sea.”

(Abeer al-Butmeh, coordinator of the Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network [5])

However, “ecocide” is not an official legal term. The concept appears in international policy: the Rome Statute laid its foundations in 1998, and the European Union recognized it as a serious environmental crime in its legislation last year [6]. Yet, a clear, global, and shared definition is still missing—one that would make it possible to determine which activities qualify as ecocide and who bears direct responsibility [7].

While the Israeli–Palestinian war has been formally defined as “a genocide” by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry [8], labeling it “an ecodice” from a legal standpoint is far less straightforward.

Once again, the environment stands among the hidden and silent victims of war. Acknowledging this destruction is not just about assigning a legal label; it means understanding that without the protection of ecosystems, there is no safety and no future.

Gaza will have to start again from the land: from restoring fields, decontaminating the soil, and securing water. Ignoring environmental damage means condemning entire generations to live among the visible and invisible remnants left by war.

Cover and preview image: A column of smoke resulting from the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip. Photo by Mohammed Ibrahim on Unsplash, published on March 05, 2023.