The Israeli military has been disposing of construction waste and debris into the Gaza Strip, exacerbating the already dire environmental and humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave. According to a report by Haaretz, trucks laden with rubble have been entering Gaza and unloading waste onto its streets. Footage obtained by the Israeli news outlet shows excavators dumping debris near the Kissufim crossing, a process that has been repeated multiple times. The waste includes significant amounts of construction materials and garbage left behind by the military during the prolonged conflict. Israeli army officers confirmed to Haaretz that field commanders authorized the dumping of waste materials inside Gaza, allowing private Israeli companies to dispose of their trash indiscriminately within the territory. One soldier questioned the logic of dumping waste just a few hundred meters from residential areas, expressing concerns over the long-term impact on local communities. Another officer highlighted the potential for Hamas to repurpose some of the discarded materials, such as iron, irrigation pipes, and concrete blocks. The report follows warnings from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) that Gaza is buried under 61 million tonnes of debris, with 15% of it potentially contaminated with hazardous substances like asbestos, industrial waste, or heavy metals. UNEP’s latest assessment revealed that nearly two-thirds of the debris was generated in the first five months of the war, with destruction accelerating in the months leading up to the ceasefire. Inger Andersen, UNEP’s executive director, emphasized the urgent need to address the environmental and humanitarian crisis, warning that continued neglect could leave a legacy of environmental destruction affecting the health and wellbeing of Gaza’s residents for generations.