How Israel’s War on Gaza Is Fueling a Global Climate Disaster

Israel’s war on Gaza has caused more climate pollution than 100 countries did in a whole year. A new study, reported by The Guardian, says the war produced over 31 million tonnes of carbon emissions in just 15 months. That’s more than what Costa Rica and Estonia released in all of 2023 combined. Most of the emissions came from Israeli military attacks and U.S. weapons deliveries. Yet countries still don’t have to report military emissions to global climate agencies.

About half of the emissions came from Israeli weapons, tanks, and airstrikes. Another 30% came from U.S. arms and supplies flown and shipped to Israel from Europe. The remaining 20% came from Israeli aircraft, fuel, and the production and use of explosives. By comparison, emissions linked to Hamas weapons and tunnels made up just 0.2% of the total.

What’s driving the emissions?

Before the war, Gaza had one of the highest shares of solar power in the world. Solar energy made up nearly a quarter of its electricity. Now, much of that system has been destroyed. The territory’s only power plant and most solar panels have been hit, leaving residents reliant on diesel generators. These generators alone added about 130,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

The war also turned Gaza into a disaster zone, not only for people but for the environment. Gaza has been left with an estimated 60 million tonnes of toxic rubble. Rebuilding 436,000 homes, 700 schools, mosques, hospitals, and roads could release an extra 29.4 million tonnes of emissions. That’s roughly the same as all of Afghanistan’s emissions in 2023.

Even humanitarian aid has added to the climate damage. The 70,000 aid trucks Israel allowed into Gaza during this period added over 40% of the total emissions. And yet, aid groups say that level of support is still far from enough for Gaza’s 2.2 million people.

The environmental effects of the war aren’t limited to Gaza. In Yemen, Houthi fighters launched about 400 rockets into Israel. That generated around 55 tonnes of carbon emissions. But Israel’s military response created about 50 times more. In Lebanon, over 90% of war-related emissions came from Israeli bombs. In Iran, two major missile exchanges with Israel produced more than 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, again mostly caused by Israeli firepower.

The study used a new method to calculate both direct and indirect wartime emissions. It includes things like destroyed farmland, fires, aid, refugee displacement, and even longer shipping routes due to Red Sea disruptions. Researchers say the real carbon cost of the war is likely even higher, but information is limited due to Israel’s media blockade and a lack of official data.

Why doesn’t this get counted?

Despite the scale of destruction, military emissions remain a blind spot in climate reporting. Under UN rules, countries don’t have to report most of their military emissions. Even fuel use is optional. The Israeli military, like most others, has never reported any emissions to the UN.

Experts say this gap makes it impossible to understand the true environmental cost of war. They argue that ignoring these emissions gives governments a free pass to damage the planet during conflict. It also threatens their own future, as the climate crisis worsens.

Israel’s military budget rose sharply to $46.5 billion in 2024—the biggest jump of any country. Its regular military operations alone produced more emissions than the entire nation of Eritrea. And that doesn’t include the added climate damage from its war on Gaza.

This war is not just a humanitarian crisis. It’s also a major environmental one. And almost no one is keeping track.

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