Israel's destruction of Gaza has created an environmental nightmare

More than two-thirds of Gaza ’s farmland, including wells and greenhouses, has been damaged or destroyed by bombardment and military earthworks.

The UN Environment Programme warns that the stripping of trees, shrubs, and crops has so badly damaged the soils of the once-fertile, biodiverse, and well-watered territory that it faces long-term desertification.

The Palestinian territory of Gaza extends for 24 miles along the shore of the eastern Mediterranean .

UN agencies estimate the war has created more than 40 million tons of rubble, containing human remains, asbestos and other hazardous materials, and unexploded ordnance.

The Geneva Convention prohibits warfare that may cause “widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment” Some international lawyers argue that Israel is guilty of war crimes against the natural.

Wadi Gaza is an important stopover for migrating water birds, including herons, storks, flamingos, and raptors.

The wadi has suffered badly in recent decades from upstream water diversions and sewage discharged from refugee camps.

But long-term research by Abd Rabou found that, despite human population pressures, some species have revived.