The Green Israel Forum warned on Monday of serious health risks following a wave of fires whose smoke has blanketed the Tel Aviv and central Israel regions, according to The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL).
The fires originate in illegal Palestinian Authority garbage dumps amid what it calls a longstanding issue of neglected landfill management.
“This is environmental terrorism that is systematically occurring under the closed eyes of the international community,” said Erez Kalif, CEO of the Green Israel Forum. Kalif cited a comprehensive report by the forum identifying over 200 illegal landfills operating in PA-controlled areas, often without any supervision or basic safety measures.
Overnight, the forum’s hotline received numerous reports from residents complaining about the strong smell of burning waste.
“These wildfires do not stop at the Green Line – they penetrate the lungs of all Israeli citizens,” Kalif warned.
The Green Israel Forum is calling on the Israeli government to act immediately, working with local and international bodies to stop the pollution, enforce environmental laws, and safeguard public health. “Israeli residents must not continue to pay with their health for environmental failures across the border,” Kalif added.
A report released in December by Green Now and Regavim non-governmental organizations estimated the annual economic damage to Judea and Samaria at 2.6 billion shekels ($710 million).
Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman told The Press Service of Israel at the time that the illegal landfills were in stark contrast from the spirit of the UN’s recent COP29 conference on climate change in Azerbaijan.
“Around the world, nations are facing shared environmental challenges—water shortages, desertification, and pollution. Israel, though small, is a global leader in innovation, from desalination to sustainable waste management. These are tools we can share with the world, but we must first address the chaos in our backyard,” she told TPS-IL.
Palestinian landfill workers burn tons of garbage daily without separating polluting substances or filtering, forcing residents of nearby communities to lock themselves in their houses
Some landfills are located in Area C of Judea and Samaria, where Israel has administrative and security control. But others are located in Area C, where Israel’s Civil Administration does not have jurisdiction.
Critics of the illegal Palestinian landfills have compared their pollution to “environmental terrorism.”
The long-term effects of landfills on the health of nearby residents include respiratory and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diseases in the brain, eyes, liver and kidneys.
