COP30 summit warned of ‘catastrophic environmental situation’ in Palestinian territories

The Palestinian ambassador to Brazil has warned the COP30 summit of the “catastrophic environmental situation” in the occupied Palestinian territories caused by the Israel-Hamas war.

Ibrahim Al Zeben said the conflict had caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip, with more than 61 million tonnes of rubble spread across the territory, some of which was contaminated with hazardous materials.

In addition, the destruction of sewerage and water networks had contaminated groundwater and coastal waters, he added.

As well as facing a humanitarian crisis, Palestinians in Gaza faced increasing environmental threats, the ambassador continued, with the destruction of agricultural lands and vegetation cover exacerbating food shortages.

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