Gaza Rubble Reaches 68 Million Tonnes
Palestinian authorities have warned of an environmental and humanitarian disaster as Gaza rubble reaches up to 68 million tonnes across the territory.
The Gaza rubble figure was issued on Friday by the Palestinian Environment Quality Authority in a statement marking the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, observed each year on November 6.
Between 61 million and 68 million tonnes of rubble have built up across Gaza, the authority said. Around 4 million tonnes of that is hazardous waste, including at least 50,000 tonnes of asbestos, a carcinogenic material once widely used in construction and insulation.
The war has destroyed 82 per cent of Gaza’s agricultural land, 97 per cent of its olive and other fruit trees, and 84 per cent of its water and sewage infrastructure, the authority said.
Gaza rubble: farmland, water and sewage in ruins
The destruction of sanitation networks has left about 120,000 cubic metres of untreated wastewater, equal to 31.7 million gallons, flowing into streets and water basins every day, the authority said.
The warning sets out the scale of damage to the basic systems people need to live. With most farmland gone and water networks in ruins, the authority said the territory faces a long struggle to restore food production and clean water.
Since the war began in October 2023, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 175,000 wounded, according to the authority. The figures cover the toll from the fighting and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
The authority called on the international community to act to halt the violations and to let Palestinians exercise control over and protect their natural resources.
Attacks on the environment in the West Bank
The authority also recorded 760 Israeli environmental attacks across the occupied West Bank from the start of 2026 through the end of September. The attacks targeted farmland, vegetation, water sources and infrastructure.
Of those, 203 attacks targeted agricultural land and nature reserves, including the bulldozing of olive groves, the building of settlement roads and the seizure of Palestinian land for military and settlement use.
Another 178 attacks targeted forests and vegetation, including the uprooting of thousands of trees, among them around 100,000 olive trees. Losses from those attacks were estimated at $67 million.
The authority also recorded 185 incidents involving waste and hazardous demolition debris, 52 attacks affecting food security and livestock, 37 targeting water sources and wells, 35 targeting water pipelines and irrigation networks, and five involving sewage systems.
Israeli military attacks and settler violence against Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank have grown since the start of the Gaza war, including killings, arrests, demolitions, land seizures, displacement and settlement expansion.
What the warning means for rebuilding
Clearing the rubble is itself a huge task. The authority said around 4 million tonnes of the debris is hazardous, and the asbestos alone poses a serious health risk to anyone who handles it without protection.
The scale of the damage also shapes the debate over Gaza’s future. Pakistan has pressed for diplomacy during the war, and the UN Security Council recently adopted a Pakistan-led statement urging diplomacy during wars. The Council said diplomatic efforts must remain consistent with the UN Charter, international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.
The latest strikes in Gaza have kept the toll rising, while the political picture in Israel has also shifted, with Arab parties backing Eisenkot’s bid to lead a new government. In Washington, the debate over funding for Israel continues, as Trump has warned that Israel funding could end in 2026.
For now, the authority’s warning puts a number on what the war has left behind: tens of millions of tonnes of broken concrete, twisted metal and dust, much of it dangerous to move, spread across a territory where most of the farmland and water systems no longer work.
How much rubble is there in Gaza?
Between 61 million and 68 million tonnes of rubble have accumulated across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Environment Quality Authority.
What hazardous material is in the rubble?
Around 4 million tonnes of the rubble is hazardous waste, including at least 50,000 tonnes of asbestos.
How much farmland has been destroyed?
The authority said 82 per cent of Gaza’s agricultural land and 97 per cent of its olive and other fruit trees have been destroyed.
What did the authority record in the West Bank?
It documented 760 environmental attacks in the occupied West Bank from January to September 2026, including the uprooting of around 100,000 olive trees.
