Israeli produce contaminated by chemicals from army explosions in Gaza

Israeli produce contaminated by chemicals from army explosions in Gaza Mera Aladam on Tue, 06/09/2026 - 11:47 New study finds hazardous material has been detected in agricultural land nearly 20 km from the boundary with Gaza An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man stands in front of a vegetable vendor's stand at the Mahane Yehuda market before the start of Shabat, in Jerusalem on 31 January 2025 (Hazem Bader/AFP) Off Local produce in Israel has been contaminated with hazardous chemicals released from army explosions during the two-year genocide in Gaza, a new study has found. The research was conducted by experts from Hebrew University, the Ministry of Health, the Volcani Institute, and the Southern Arava Agricultural Research Organisation. It revealed that PFAS - a group of synthetic, long-lasting chemicals - were detected in potatoes sampled from dozens of fields near the boundary with Gaza. PFAS pollution was found in water wells and soils up to 19km from Gaza, the study added. The researchers suggested that chemical materials were likely carried by the wind onto farmland after being released from explosives in Gaza, highlighting the environmental impact of Israel's devastating war. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); PFAS are notoriously difficult to break down in the environment and human body, as well as being heat-resistant, earning them the nickname "forever chemicals". Certain types of PFAS have been linked to various health concerns, including reproductive and immune system harm, developmental issues in fetuses, and an increased risk of cancer. In Israel, approximately 15 percent of drinking water wells and 70 percent of water sources used for agriculture contain PFAS residues, leading to the closure of major water wells across the country. Carbon footprint from Israel's war on Gaza exceeds 100 countries Read More » The carbon footprint from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has worsened an already fragile environment, with emissions from the first 15 months of the assault estimated to surpass those of 100 countries. The Social Science Research Network found that the climate cost of Israel’s destruction of Gaza - including debris clearance and reconstruction - could exceed 31 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. That is more than the annual 2023 emissions of many countries, including Costa Rica, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. It found that the overall impact of Israel’s wars on Gaza and Lebanon, as well as its previous military confrontations with Yemen and Iran, was equivalent to running 84 gas power plants for a year. Climate change and Israel's attacks on environmental infrastructure have long plagued Gaza and other parts of occupied Palestine. After the Nakba - the ethnic cleansing and destruction of Palestinian communities in 1948 by Zionist forces - the Jewish National Fund (JNF) planted monoculture forests of pine trees, often on the ruins of Palestinian villages. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel revealed in 2013 that the JNF's projects had a devastating impact on local biodiversity. In 2021, Fadel al-Jadba, director of the horticulture department at the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, told Middle East Eye that there had been a noticeable decline in agricultural production over the past decade. Israel's genocide in Gaza News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0