One year on from the start of the Gaza genocide, it feels unfathomable that the level of destruction and barbarity not only continues at a steady pace, but is only further escalating as Israel sends a ground invasion into Lebanon.

As I wrote in a blog post from last November, as well as the devastating death toll (the conservative estimate being close to 42,000 – not accounting for those still buried under the rubble), the land, and the food and water sources which people rely on are being not only indiscriminately, but intentionally destroyed. Environmental destruction is a war strategy, designed to prevent the targeted population from survival and recovery. This destruction is not isolated to Gaza. Lebanon has also been a target of destruction. In November 2023, Israel had already burned 40,000 olive trees, dealing a serious blow to a major Lebanese crop.” With the bombing and ground invasion in Lebanon, the environmental devastation, which has exacerbated Lebanon’s already struggling economy will only worsen, having implications for years and decades to come. 

One year on, the displaced population of Gaza is in the millions as they are crowded into refugee camps, with little access to food, water and sanitation, and unsure if they will be bombed overnight – as has become the pattern. This month, the Palestinian Water Authority has stated that over 85% of Gaza’s water and sewage facilities are either fully or partially non-operational. This has lead to the discharge of raw sewage directly into the Mediterranean sea. 

The Conflict and Environment Observatory has reported on the September 2024 UNOSAT and FAO figures that a total of 67% of Gaza’s cropland has been damaged, encompassing 71.2% of orchards and trees, 67.1% of field crops, 58.5% of vegetables, 52.5% of agricultural wells and 44.3% of greenhouses. Simultaneously in the West Bank, the increase in land grabbing and settler violence has reached record levels of olive grove destruction and damage to water resources. A study published by the Palestinian Farmers Union describes the Israeli settler campaign in the West Bank as eco-terrorism. The documented destruction as well as blocking of access to Palestinian farmers has led to huge losses. Olive production generates between 170-191 million dollars annually in Palestine, supporting approximately 80-100 thousand families.

On the anniversary of October 7th, Al Jazeera published an interactive piece showing satellite imagery of the scale of destruction. Below are two maps from this article showing the destruction of agricultural land and vegetation in Gaza.