Gaza city: The Israeli army has come under scrutiny following reports of allowing waste and construction debris from settlements near the Gaza Strip to be dumped into the Palestinian enclave, as reported by Israeli media on Sunday. The daily Haaretz revealed that Israeli trucks, operated by a private company, have been transporting waste and debris into Gaza’s border areas under military control.

According to Anadolu Agency, these trucks were observed advancing 200-300 meters inside Gaza, unloading their cargo along roadsides instead of designated disposal sites, before returning empty to Israel through the Kisufim border crossing. Haaretz cited security officers indicating that field commanders issued instructions permitting these trucks to enter Gaza and dump their loads as they see fit.

The Israeli army has denied knowledge of these activities, according to the newspaper. There has been no official comment from the military on the report as of yet.

On Thursday, the Gaza Government Media Office declared the enclave an ‘environmental and structural disaster zone’ following two years of intense conflict with Israel, which destroyed about 90% of civilian infrastructure, resulting in approximately 70 million tons of debris.

The United Nations estimates that rebuilding Gaza will require around $70 billion. The first phase of a ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on October 10, under a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. This plan includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and outlines the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has reportedly killed over 68,000 people and injured more than 170,000 others in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry.