Toxic Waste: Israel’s New Tool against Palestinians

DID Press: In the absence of international oversight, Israeli authorities are reportedly exploiting dual legal systems to turn the West Bank into a dumping ground for industrial and hazardous waste, with plans to construct a large-scale incineration plant in Qalandiya area.

A recent report by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed says that Israeli institutions have long relied on a series of discriminatory laws to designate the West Bank as a primary site for disposing of industrial and toxic waste. The practice has had significant environmental and humanitarian consequences for Palestinian residents.

According to the report, Israeli authorities are now seeking to build a massive waste incineration facility in Qalandiya, north of Jerusalem. Experts say the project goes far beyond conventional waste management and could become a tool to increase pressure on Palestinians.

Such a facility, the report warns, will not only generate severe pollution and public health risks but can also serve as a pretext for restricting Palestinian presence and seizing additional land in the surrounding area.

Environmental activists caution that continuing this trend threatens not only human health but also the fragile West Bank ecosystem.