RAMALLAH, July 15, 2026 (WAFA) – The Environment Quality Authority (EQA) on Wednesday thwarted an attempt to dump Israeli solid waste on Bethlehem and Qalqilya governorates in the occupied Territory.
The EQA announced that it had intercepted three Israeli-licensed trucks loaded with construction and demolition debris destined for illegal dumping at sites in Bethlehem and Qalqilya governorates in violation of applicable environmental regulations, and ordered that they return to their source inside Israel.
It noted that it the Customs Police (CP) intercepted and impounded the two trucks loaded with 20 tons of construction waste and debris in an operation jointly conducted with Environmental Police and the Military Liaison in the town of al-Shawawra, east of Bethlehem.
It added that another truck was impounded in cooperation with the CP in Qalqilya district. The necessary seizure reports and technical documentation were prepared before the trucks were duly returned to their source.
The EQA stressed that these operations were part of broader enforcement efforts aimed at combating the smuggling of Israeli waste into the Palestinian Territory.
According to Maan Development Center, Israel views the West Bank as a space for Israeli settlement expansion. Accordingly, the infrastructure related to waste collection, disposal, and recycling within the settlements is advanced, providing a greener and safer environment. In contrast, Israel exploits Palestinian communities and neighborhoods located far from colonies, turning them into landfills that are considered the most hazardous in the Middle East.
These sites allow Israel to develop its displacement tools through environmental means, as they lead to environmental and health disasters, including groundwater contamination and the destruction of animal and plant life.
On another note, Israel suppresses any efforts by the Palestinian Authority, already an unorganized body in terms of waste management, to develop the solid waste and wastewater sectors. It actively ensures that Palestinian waste recycling or disposal infrastructure is not developed. This enables the so-called Israeli Civil Administration to manage the environmental gap between Israelis and Palestinians as another means of creating an unlivable reality for Palestinians—one that could become even more pronounced in the future with population growth and escalating health risks.
Furthermore, due to the occupation’s policies in managing this widening environmental gap, right-wing settler organizations place the blame on the Palestinian Authority, ignoring the repressive Israeli legislation. These groups call for the imposition of Israeli environmental laws even in Areas "A" and "B" (as designated by the Oslo Accords).
In addition to dumping waste from Israeli industrial zones located in the West Bank, these companies are responsible for transferring nearly 350,000 tons of hazardous waste annually from inside Israel to the West Bank. While the occupying state enforces strict environmental standards within its own borders, it allows settlements in the West Bank to operate waste treatment facilities under less strict regulations. This makes it cheaper and more cost-effective for companies to run such operations in the West Bank rather than inside Israel.
The Israeli government also provides tax exemptions and direct financial support to companies that relocate their waste treatment operations to the settlements. A report by the Israeli organization B'Tselem reveals that no official information is published regarding the amount of waste transferred to the West Bank or its environmental impact. This lack of transparency effectively prevents Palestinians from having any means to object to or regulate these activities.
K.F.
