Few terms in international law carry the weight of genocide. One of the only concepts that stands alongside it is ecocide. The first refers to the destruction of a people; the second to the destruction of the conditions that sustain life. Gaza now sits at the intersection of both. Together, these terms describe two interlinked crises: one threatening human survival, the other threatening environmental survival. Each deepens the other.

The Genocide Convention defines genocide through five acts:

killing members of a targeted group;

causing serious bodily or mental harm;

deliberately imposing conditions of life intended to bring about physical destruction;

preventing births; and

forcibly transferring children.

Since 7 October 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel and Israel responded with overwhelming force, several authoritative institutions have concluded that Israel’s actions meet this definition. B’Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel and Amnesty International have all stated that Israel is committing genocide. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry has reached the same conclusion. The International Association of Genocide Scholars also holds that genocide is taking place. These are respected institutions with long-standing records in human rights and international law.

Gaza’s catastrophe, however, extends beyond genocide. It also encompasses the destruction of nature, food systems, water infrastructure and agriculture. This is where the concept of ecocide becomes essential.

The European Law Institute defines ecocide as “the destruction and devastation of the environment at any cost”. The Rome Statute includes provisions for environmental protection during war. In Gaza, environmental devastation is not narrow or accidental. It is extensive. It is deliberate.

A joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN Satellite Centre (FAO–UNOSAT), published on 28 July 2025, underscores this. It found that only 8.6 per cent of Gaza’s........

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