Amjad al-Shawwa of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) in Gaza City told Press TV on Sunday that the besieged Palestinian territory seriously needs help from the “international community” with regard to its poor sanitation. “Our children are growing in very bad conditions,” he said. “Israel is completely responsible for what is happening in Gaza.” Many Gazans, especially youngsters, have developed pulmonary diseases in recent years as a result of the stench emanating from untreated solid waste, according to Gaza health officials. more

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- An environmental researcher warned Wednesday that a waste crisis is worsening in the Gaza Strip, as imports of trucks are being prevented as part of Israel's siege. Wael Safi said increases in population and a difficult economic situation was complicating efforts to collect waste, while Israel is preventing the import of vehicles and spare parts for trucks. Speaking at a workshop organized by French officials on the waste problem in Gaza, Safi told Ma'an that recycling solid waste is expensive and the crisis will eventually affect the public's health. “We are working on creating a central waste (center) in Gaza and improving waste collection” Safi said, and groups like the World Bank, and Islamic Development Bank as well as the EU were trying to help. more

In addition to the depleted uranium and sewage lakes the Palestinians have to contend with in Gaza, on the West Bank it's the Israeli's simply dumping their unwanted toxic waste that is a growing concern, and is probably partly responsible for growing number of cancers in the region Israeli toxic waste threatens Palestinian life Fri, 22 May 2009 05:03:37 GMT Israeli waste disposal companies send dozens of refuse-filled trucks to Palestinian villages every day. Tel Aviv illegally dumps hazardous waste in the Palestinian West Bank, gifting cancer, sterility and mental disorders to the local population. In an exclusive interview with Press TV, Deputy Director of the Palestinian environmental authority Jamil Mtoor confirmed that Israel cuts disposal costs by discarding its waste on Palestinian territory at the expense of the population. "For several years, Israeli companies have been dumping solid and hazardous waste in different West Bank villages," Mtoor said. "The...