Chemical attacks by Israel threaten Gaza's agriculture, farm workers' health

By Omer Faruk Madanoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Palestinian Agricultural Work Committees Union has accused Israel of intentionally using chemicals like white phosphorus on farmlands in the Gaza Strip, resulting in soil contamination and potential cancer risks for agricultural workers.

Moayyad Bsharat, the union's lobbying director, told Anadolu that Israel deliberately attacks agricultural lands in Gaza, using white phosphorus and other chemicals sent by the US.

These attacks result in the accumulation of carcinogenic substances in the soil, posing a risk of cancer for those who would work on these lands in the future.

He emphasized that Israel's systematic chemical attacks on usable agricultural lands have caused Palestinians to develop respiratory diseases and skin cancer due to the chemicals used.

He noted that Israel aims to restrict Gazans' access to healthy food by poisoning the soil.

If the land is contaminated, all products grown on it become contaminated, posing a risk to human health.

He stressed the need for international organizations to examine the immediate effects of using banned bombs on human health and conduct soil tests after conflicts end.

Agricultural lands in Gaza hit by Israel's banned weapons are rendered unusable for at least five years, with some chemicals penetrating up to 10 meters deep into the soil, he explained.

Even unaffected lands witness a significant drop in productivity due to the presence of carcinogenic substances.

Referring to Israel's previous use of banned phosphorus bombs and chemical weapons in Lebanon, which resulted in decreased agricultural productivity, Bsharat called for similar attention to be paid to the Gaza Strip.

He warned against working directly on these lands without proper inspection because Israel uses chemicals to destroy soil fertility. Bsharat suggested that farmers' health be continuously monitored and side effects recorded for those working on these lands.