4 days ago
Study: Emissions from War on Gaza Exceed Those of 102 Individual Countries Annually
New York – Saba:
Researchers have concluded that greenhouse gas emissions resulting from Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip over the past year and a half exceed the annual emissions of 102 individual countries.
Researchers from the UK, the US, Ghana, Ukraine, and Austria submitted a study on the environmental impacts of Israel's attacks on Gaza, covering 15 months, to the Social Science Research Network (SSRN), based in New York, according to Anadolu Agency.
The study found that the greenhouse gas emissions caused by Israel's assault on Gaza—when factoring in both pre-war and post-war construction activities—surpass the annual emissions of 102 countries.
It stated that the long-term climate cost of destroying Gaza, clearing rubble, and rebuilding the region will amount to 31 million tons of carbon dioxide.
About 20% of this amount is attributed to carbon emissions during Israel's surveillance and bombing operations, as well as fuel consumed by tanks and military vehicles, and the manufacturing and detonation of bombs.
The study noted that approximately 30% of the emissions came from the United States, which shipped 50,000 tons of weapons and other military supplies to Israel, mostly via cargo planes and ships from European stockpiles.
The largest climate cost will come from reconstructing Gaza, with researchers estimating that clearing the debris and rebuilding around 436,000 housing units, 700 schools, mosques, government offices, and infrastructure such as roads will generate around 29.4 million tons of greenhouse gases—equivalent to Afghanistan's total carbon emissions in 2023.
Researchers estimate that the long-term climate cost of Israeli attacks on Gaza, Yemen, Iran, and Lebanon is equivalent to operating 84 natural gas power plants for a year.
Supported by the U.S. and Europe, the Israeli military has been committing acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, resulting in 54,321 deaths, mostly among women and children, and 123,770 injuries as of Friday. Thousands more remain under rubble or on roads inaccessible to rescue teams.
Israel has imposed an 18-year blockade on Gaza, and about 1.5 million Palestinians out of 2.4 million have been left homeless. The population faces extreme famine due to Israel's near-total closure of crossings and the severe restriction of humanitarian aid.
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