A new study, as reported by The Guardian, shows that the current Israel-Gaza conflict has emitted more climate pollution than 100 nations combined for one year. The conflict has emitted over 31 million tonnes of carbon in only 15 months, more than the combined emissions of Costa Rica and Estonia in 2023.
The majority of the emissions are a result of Israeli military activity and US arms shipments. Half of all the emissions resulted from Israeli tanks, weapons, and air bombardments. US arms and supplies shipped from Europe to Israel contributed about 30%, with Israeli aircraft, fuel usage, and production and deployment of explosives providing the remaining 20%. In comparison, emissions related to Hamas weapons and tunnel use comprised only 0.2% of the total.
Energy Crisis of Gaza Boosts Emissions
Before the war, Gaza was mainly dependent on solar power, with almost 25% of its electricity being produced by the sun. Much of that infrastructure has been destroyed, including Gaza’s only power station and most of its solar panels. Now, residents are largely reliant on diesel generators, which alone have added approximately 130,000 tonnes of carbon emissions to the atmosphere.
The conflict has ravaged Gaza’s ecosystem, leaving around 60 million tonnes of poisonous debris. Reconstruction will include rebuilding 436,000 houses, 700 schools, mosques, hospitals, and roads. The process of rebuilding alone has the potential to release another 29.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to Afghanistan’s total emissions in 2023.
In addition, humanitarian assistance has contributed to climate change. The 70,000 aid vehicles authorized by Israel into Gaza for the duration contributed over 40% of the overall emissions. Humanitarian organizations highlight that this assistance continues to be inadequate for Gaza’s 2.2 million inhabitants.
Regional Impact: Beyond Gaza
The environmental footprint of the war goes beyond Gaza. In Yemen, Houthi rebels fired about 400 rockets into Israel, releasing about 55 tonnes of carbon emissions. But Israel’s military response released emissions about 50 times greater. In Lebanon, more than 90% of emissions attributed to the war came from Israeli bombings. Simultaneously, missile exchanges between Iran and Israel released more than 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, primarily resulting from Israeli military activities.
The research used a new method to calculate both direct and indirect war emissions, such as burned-up farmland, blazes, humanitarian assistance, displaced refugees, and longer shipping distances as a result of traffic jams in the Red Sea. Scientists caution that the actual carbon cost of the war is probably much greater, but restricted access to official statistics and Israel’s media blockade prohibit precise calculations.
Military Emissions: The Invisible Climate Crisis
Despite the immense scale of emissions from military activity, these remain largely unreported in global climate data. Under United Nations guidelines, countries are not required to disclose most military emissions, and reporting fuel consumption is optional. The Israeli military, like most worldwide, has never reported emissions to the UN.
Experts claim this reporting shortfall hides the actual environmental impacts of war and allows governments free rein to exploit the planet during conflicts. They claim that such a lack of accountability puts future climate stability at risk.
Israel’s military expenditure skyrocketed to $46.5 billion in 2024—the biggest increase in the world. Its standard military operations alone generate more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire country of Eritrea. This does not account for the other climate harm incurred by the Gaza war.
