BAKU, November 20, 2024 (WAFA) - Head of the Environment Quality Authority, Nisreen Tamimi, emphasized that the ongoing Israeli occupation’s aggression on the Gaza Strip has led to the accumulation of more than 42 million tons of rubble, contaminated with hazardous substances and organic pollutants.
Speaking at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), Tamimi highlighted that 95% of Gaza's water sources are now polluted and unfit for human use, contributing to the spread of infectious diseases.
Tamimi also noted that the occupation has bulldozed and taken control of 4,000 hectares of land in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, this year, in addition to destroying infrastructure and annexing more than 50% of nature reserves for the benefit of colonial and military expansion.
She called on representatives of world countries to uphold their responsibilities under international law and agreements, urging them to pressure Israel to halt its genocidal actions, lift the siege, remove the ban on UNRWA and strengthen relief efforts, early recovery and reconstruction, with the ultimate goal of ending the occupation.
The COP29 summit, taking place this year in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, acts as the implementation body of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Its goal is to identify global solutions to mitigate global warming and accelerate the green transition. The Palestinian Environment Quality Authority represented the State of Palestine at this summit.
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