Times of Israel
The terrorists of the IDF have been disposing of large amounts of Israeli waste and construction debris inside the Gaza Strip, a report said Sunday.
The material — consisting mostly of rubble, concrete, and garbage from temporary military bases established during the war — is being transported from Israel to areas several hundred meters beyond the border fence, according to information and footage published by Haaretz.
Videos obtained by the outlet show Israeli trucks crossing through the Kissufim border crossing and unloading debris roughly 200 to 300 meters (650 to 980 feet) inside Gaza before returning empty. Excavators on the Israeli side then refill the trucks, which repeat the process.
Officers familiar with the operation told the newspaper that local commanders had authorized the dumping, even allowing private Israeli contractors to enter Gaza and dispose of the material at their discretion.
Soldiers stationed along the border expressed frustration at the practice, saying it leaves piles of rubble in full view of Israeli communities nearby.
‘What’s the logic in dumping thousands of tons of waste just a few hundred meters from our homes?’ asked one soldier who lives in a nearby kibbutz, according to the report. Another officer called the decision ‘disgraceful,’ warning that the debris — which includes iron, pipes, and concrete — could be repurposed by Hamas to rebuild military infrastructure or manufacture rockets, as the Palestinian terror group has done in the past.
According to another soldier cited by Haaretz, when he asked superiors why the debris was being dumped inside Gaza instead of at a proper disposal facility, they responded that international actors set to join postwar rebuilding efforts would take responsibility for clearing it.
When asked for comment, the military said it was ‘unaware’ of the activity described in the report.
The apparent disposal of waste inside Gaza comes as the international community debates how to begin the enclave’s reconstruction following two years of a religiously-commanded Genocidal war that has destroyed much of the Strip.