Israeli attacks on Gaza City increase global carbon emissions: Turkish expert

By Yesim Yuksel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Attacks by Israel on Gaza City have increased global greenhouse gas emissions, a Turkish expert told Anadolu on Thursday.

The air, land and sea attacks since Oct. 7 are not only causing humanitarian crises but also environmental ones.

Professor Filiz Karaosmanoglu, a faculty member at Istanbul Technical University, pointed out that global greenhouse gas emissions caused by military activities show an increase with wars.

"The military sector has a very large supply chain, including equipment, weapons, land, sea and air transportation. All of this means resource and fuel consumption. In addition to these, there are submarines, satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, rockets, and missiles that we do not see," said Karaosmanoglu.

“The top 10 countries with significant greenhouse gas emissions also allocate substantial funds to defense expenditures. There is such a relationship between them," she said.

Karaosmanoglu said the effects of climate change have been increasing with Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza.

"Currently, land, air, and sea vehicles are emitting greenhouse gases with high consumption rates. With the recent attacks, greenhouse gas emissions in transportation have increased," she warned.

"A significant consumption has emerged at a time when we are trying to convert fuels used in aviation, which cause excessive greenhouse gas emissions, into sustainable fuels. This situation prevents us from stopping the course of climate change and increases greenhouse gas emissions," according to Karaosmanoglu.

A study posted on the Social Science Research Network website, focusing on the carbon emissions caused by Israeli attacks, revealed that carbon emissions in the first 60 days of the attacks amounted to more than the annual carbon emissions of 20 countries and regions -- equivalent to 280,602 tons.

The amount is estimated to be equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of nearly 75 coal-fired power plants.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas in October, which Tel Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 27,840 Palestinians have since been killed and 67,317 injured in the ensuing Israeli onslaught, according to local health authorities.

About 85% of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli offensive, while all of them are food insecure, according to the UN. Hundreds of thousands of residents are living without shelter, and ⁠less than half of aid trucks are entering the territory than before the start of the conflict.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz.