GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

The Israeli army allowed the transfer of large quantities of waste and construction debris from settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip into the Palestinian enclave, Israeli media said Sunday.

The daily Haaretz reported that Israeli trucks belonging to a private company have been transporting waste and debris to border areas under army control inside Gaza.

The trucks were seen advancing 200–300 meters inside Gaza, where they “unload their cargo along roadsides rather than at designated disposal sites,” before returning empty to Israel through the Israeli-controlled Kisufim border crossing in central Gaza, the paper said.

“Field commanders have issued instructions allowing trucks belonging to private companies to enter the Gaza Strip and dump their loads wherever they see fit,” Haaretz said, citing security officers.

According to the newspaper, the Israeli army denied knowledge of the matter.

There has been no official comment from the military on the report.

On Thursday, the Gaza Government Media Office declared the enclave an “environmental and structural disaster zone” following two years of genocidal war waged by Israel, which destroyed about 90% of civilian infrastructure, amounting to roughly 70 million tons of debris.

According to the UN, rebuilding Gaza is estimated to cost around $70 billion.

The first phase of a ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Oct. 10 under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.

Phase one includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

The Israeli army has killed over 68,000 people and injured more than 170,000 others in a brutal war in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Health Ministry.