More than a year and a half of Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign has turned Gaza into a wasteland, barely capable of supporting human life. According to the Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip, over 270,000 tons of solid waste have accumulated across the occupied enclave. Piles of garbage are flooding the streets and accumulating around displacement camps and shelters, where hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians are forced to live with no access to basic sanitation infrastructure.
Since October 2023, the Israeli military has deliberately and systematically targeted Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, including essential public service facilities vital to civilian survival, such as municipal offices, sanitation systems, and waste collection vehicles. The already dire waste crisis escalated dramatically after 2 March 2025, when the Israeli government reinstated a total blockade and closure on Gaza, halting the entry of fuel supplies essential for operating the remaining waste management equipment. As a result, garbage collection services have nearly come to a complete halt.
All five wastewater treatment plants in Gaza have been rendered non-operational due to extensive damage from Israeli attacks, prolonged power outages, and restricted access for maintenance crews. These facilities, which had a combined design capacity of 154,600 cubic meters per day, are no longer functioning. In addition, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Palestinian Water Authority, Israel has destroyed approximately 1,545 kilometers of sewage pipelines. As a result, untreated sewage is now flooding streets and residential areas, drastically increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
The crisis is most acute in and around displacement camps and makeshift shelters, where severe overcrowding and the complete collapse of sanitation services have created conditions ripe for public health disasters. Repeated Israeli forced displacement orders have driven large populations into densely packed areas, where tents stand side by side with no access to basic hygiene or waste disposal. In the absence of even minimal sanitation infrastructure, many families have been forced to construct makeshift toilets near or inside their tents and to dig open or underground sewage channels. These deeply unsanitary conditions have fueled a surge in disease outbreaks, including a sharp rise in skin infections and waterborne illnesses, particularly among children, the elderly, and those with chronic health conditions.
Engineer Ahmad Abu Abda, the Director of Health and Environment at the Gaza Municipality, reported: “Gaza has two main landfills—one located in Juhr Al-Deek, east of Gaza City, and the other in Al-Fukhari, east of Khan Younis—along with medical waste treatment facilities in both eastern Gaza City and eastern Khan Younis. Since the beginning of the war, access to these landfills has been completely denied, and no waste has been transported for proper treatment or disposal. Instead, waste has been piling up in makeshift dumps across destroyed cities and the streets, with an estimated volume reaching up to half a million tons. This waste is mixed and contains infectious and hazardous materials. Furthermore, over 70% of municipal and agricultural water wells are now out of service due to widespread destruction, lack of maintenance, and limited access. Municipalities are no longer able to manage or safely collect the accumulated waste, particularly after more than 80% of their equipment and tools used for solid waste management were destroyed.”
This catastrophic situation has triggered outbreaks of infectious diseases, including hepatitis and a range of skin conditions. Leaking pollutants have contaminated both soil and groundwater, while the uncontrolled burning of waste has severely degraded air quality. These escalating environmental hazards pose grave health risks for two million Palestinians in Gaza.
Mohamed Al-Naqah, Director of Al-Aqsa Health Services Clinic in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, stated: “We treat between 800 and 1,000 patients each day, including around 250 cases of skin conditions and 100 cases of scabies, chickenpox, and skin infections. About half of these patients are children and women. These illnesses are primarily caused by limited access to water and the inability to maintain personal hygiene, made worse by the presence of wastewater and sewage flowing between tents, especially in the severely overcrowded displacement camps. The situation is further aggravated by close contact among people, particularly in front of soup kitchens where food is distributed. The supply of medication we currently have is far from enough to meet the demand, and with the crossings closed, we cannot replenish our stock. Even pharmacies no longer carry these medications. The rapid spread of these diseases is driven by the lack of clean water and basic hygiene products.”
Al Mezan also recalls that on 21 and 22 April 2025, the Israeli military carried out a series of targeted airstrikes in Gaza City, North Gaza, and Khan Younis that destroyed over 30 bulldozers, vehicles, and heavy machinery and equipment, including items donated during the ceasefire. The strikes destroyed critical civil engineering machinery and heavy equipment used for solid waste collection and sewage extraction. As a result, the Jabaliya Al-Nazla Municipality announced a complete suspension of its essential services, including street cleaning, waste removal, sewage system maintenance, and water supply. These attacks have significantly worsened the already critical health and environmental situation, increasing the likelihood of widespread disease and epidemics.
A 34-year-old mother of three shared the following with Al Mezan: “My family and I are living in a small tent, where we had no choice but to build a makeshift bathroom. Beneath it, there’s a pit dug into the ground to collect sewage. The entire area reeks of sewage, especially since every tent around us has a similar setup. We’re constantly exposed to swarms of mosquitoes and flies, and skin diseases have become widespread. My children and I have painful rashes covering our bodies. The itching is relentless, and scratching only worsens the irritation, leaving lasting marks. Most medical points lack basic medicines, and we can’t find alternatives elsewhere. Trash piles up beside the camp with no one to remove it, attracting insects and worsening the already unbearable conditions. The camp now resembles a landfill, with the ground stained and foul-smelling from the accumulation of waste and disease. Eventually, we moved to another camp, but once again had to set up makeshift bathrooms, and the garbage started piling up there too.”
Al Mezan affirms that the unbearable living conditions imposed by Israel in Gaza are not incidental, but a deliberate component of its ongoing genocidal campaign intended to systematically destroy the Palestinian population, in whole or in part. This is carried out through the deliberate destruction of life-sustaining civilian infrastructure, the denial of humanitarian aid, and the infliction of collective punishment. These actions constitute blatant violations of international law, including the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statute, and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Once again, Al Mezan calls on the international community to take immediate and concrete action to halt Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. A comprehensive and immediate ceasefire must be enforced to prevent further destruction and loss of life. It is crucial to enable relevant authorities, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), to continue providing life-saving services to the 2.3 million Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Efforts should also focus on restoring critical infrastructure, including water and sewage networks, and ensuring the safe and effective collection and transportation of waste to designated landfills. Additionally, the international community must facilitate the uninterrupted flow of essential aid, especially fuel needed to operate water stations, sewage treatment plants, and waste collection vehicles, to prevent further deterioration of the health and environmental situation in Gaza.
