I have noticed during this pulverization of Gaza that nobody including Israeli soldiers has any form of respiratory protection. As can be seen from two much more minor interventions below the dust will contain asbestos and heavy metals, these may not be immediate killers but their long-term dangers are well-known and will be proportional to exposure rates.
Report 1
Environmental Assessment of the Gaza Strip following the escalation of hostilities in December 2008 – January 2009
Findings on pages 75 to 84.
It is estimated that approximately 600,000 tonnes of rubble were generated by the collapse of buildings and other infrastructure during the escalation of violence. The quantity of rubble generated in various parts of the Gaza Strip is presented in Table 20. Plans are currently being developed for its removal, so that reconstruction efforts can begin.
Report 2
2014 War on Gaza Strip: Participatory Environmental Impact Assessment
Conclusions Page 69 to 71
One year after the open ceasefire that ended the war, the war is still affecting the
air quality around the Gaza Strip. In the areas that still have demolition waste, active
demolition waste removal activities or demolition waste crushers, the air quality is
largely polluted with particulate matters of different sizes. In many areas, the air quality was deteriorated also with lead. Such air pollution was expected by experts, witnessed by people who participated in the focus group sessions from 96% of the localities, and confirmed by the chemical tests of air samples from some areas. Air pollution affects women more than men. Women spend more time in their houses than other groups which makes them more exposed to the health threats that are caused by air pollution. Air pollution also effects children and the elderly more than other groups within the community.
Now?
Rivers of sewage, dirty water, and toxic air: The environmental disaster unfolding in Gaza
Now, 70 days into the current war, experts warn that irreversible damage is being done to the environment of the narrow strip that is one of the world’s most populated regions.
Air pollution has spiked, water-borne illnesses are on the rise and wildlife is suffering.
According to the head of the Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority (PEQA) Nasreen Tamimi, the environmental impact of the war on Gaza is “catastrophic”, adding that a comprehensive environmental field assessment would show that the “damage exceeds all predictions”.
How does war damage the environment?
Severe pollution incidents can be caused when industrial, oil or energy facilities are deliberately attacked, inadvertently damaged or disrupted. In some cases, deliberate attacks on oil or industrial facilities are used as a weapon of war, to pollute large areas and spread terror. Other scorched earth techniques include the destruction of agricultural infrastructure like canals, wells and pumps and the burning of crops. Tactics like these threaten food security and livelihoods, increasing the vulnerability of rural communities. Whether unintended or deliberate, these large-scale pollution incidents can lead to transboundary impacts from air pollution or through the contamination of rivers, aquifers or the sea. In some instances, these even have the potential to affect weather or the global climate.
Just for information. The same issues affect Ukraine although in Gaza it is much more concentrated.