Israel’s war on Gaza has not only razed entire neighbourhoods to the ground, displaced families multiple times and decimated medical facilities, but also poisoned the very ground and water on which Palestinians depend.
Four weeks into a fragile ceasefire, which Israel has violated daily, the scale of the environmental devastation is becoming painfully clear.
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In Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, what was once a lively community has become a wasteland. Homes lie in ruins, and an essential water source, once a rainwater pond, now festers with sewage and debris. For many displaced families, it is both home and hazard.
Umm Hisham, pregnant and displaced, trudges through the foul water with her children. They have nowhere else to go.
“We took refuge here, around the Sheikh Radwan pond, with all the sufferings you could imagine, from mosquitoes to sewage with rising levels, let alone the destruction all around. All this poses a danger to our lives and the lives of our children,” she said, speaking to Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Alkhalili.
Heavily damaged buildings are reflected in a water basin in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City on October 22, 2025 [File: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP]
The pond, designed to collect rainwater and channel it to the sea, now holds raw sewage after Israeli air attacks destroyed the pumps. With electricity and sanitation systems crippled, contaminated water continues to rise, threatening to engulf nearby homes and tents.
“There is no doubt there are grave impacts on all citizens: Foul odours, insects, mosquitoes. Also, foul water levels have exceeded 6 metres [20ft] high without any protection; the fence is completely destroyed, with high possibility for any child, woman, old man, or even a car to fall into this pond,” said Maher Salem, a Gaza City municipal officer speaking to Al Jazeera.
Local officials warn that stagnant water could cause disease outbreaks, especially among children. Yet for many in Gaza, there are no alternatives.
“Families know that the water they get from the wells and from the containers or from the water trucks is polluted and contaminated … but they don’t have any other choice,” said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City.
A boy fills a plastic bottle with water in a camp for displaced Palestinians, at a school-turned-shelter in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025 [Omar Al Qattaa]
Destroyed water infrastructure
At the COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil, Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim al-Zeben described the crisis as an environmental catastrophe intertwined with Israel’s genocide.
“There’s no secret that Gaza is suffering because of the genocide that Israel continues to wage, a war that has created nearly a quarter of a million victims and produced more than 61 million tonnes of rubble, some of which is contaminated with hazardous materials,” he said.
“In addition, the deliberate destruction of sewage and water networks has led to the contamination of groundwater and coastal waters. Gaza now faces severe risks to public health, and environmental risks are increasing,” al-Zeben added.
Israel’s attacks have also “destroyed” much of the enclave’s agricultural land, leaving it “in a state of severe food insecurity and famine with food being used as a weapon”, he said.
In September, a UN report warned freshwater supplies in Gaza are “severely limited and much of what remains is polluted”.
“The collapse of sewage treatment infrastructure, the destruction of piped systems and the use of cesspits for sanitation have likely increased contamination of the aquifer that supplies much of Gaza with water,” the report by the United Nations Environment Programme noted.
Back in Sheikh Radwan, the air hangs thick with rot and despair. “When every day is a fight to find water, food, and bread,” Mahmoud said, “safety becomes secondary.”
Video shows the aftermath of drone and artillery strikes on a shelter in the besieged city of el-Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur state, which killed at least 60 people. The attack was carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to a Sudanese medical advocacy group.
Videos show the aftermath of Israeli strikes near two of Gaza’s last functioning hospitals. At least 15 Palestinians were killed outside al-Shifa, while several more died in a separate attack near al-Ahli.
Witnesses describe scene before and after Charlie Kirk shot
Attendees at the campus event where US conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday have described mass panic after a shot was heard.
Kirk, 31, was killed after he was hit in the neck by a single bullet, which law enforcement believes came from a shooter on the roof of a nearby building.
The influencer and close Donald Trump ally had been speaking to about 3,000 people on his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University.
Videos on social media show Kirk talked about gun violence moments before he was shot.
One eyewitness told the BBC’s US partner CBS: “Me and my buddies were having a good time just listening to what was going on and we just saw it, heard a loud shout, loud bang and then I saw his body actually in slow motion kind of fall over”.
Porter LaFerber, a student at Utah Valley University who described himself as a “big fan” of Kirk’s and was at the rally, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he was about 50ft (15m) away from Kirk.
“I was sitting there filming him, I cut my video and just then I heard this shot,” he said.
“You don’t really realise what’s happened until it’s happened. Charlie falls off his stool, everyone starts panicking.”
LaFerber said he hid behind a “cement terrace” and then after about a minute of “not hearing another gunshot, I got up and just booked it to the closest building I could see”.
In a video shared by news agency Reuters, an eyewitness called Danielle said she was closer to Kirk – about 15ft (5m) away.
“It was horrible,” she said. “All I hear is screaming and I see people running and I’m like, ‘it’s not safe to run. It’s not safe to get up’…And all I’m saying is, ‘please, God, please, God, please, God,’ because I don’t want to die.”
Students flee as Charlie Kirk is shot while speaking to a crowd of hundreds
Jason Chaffetz, a former US congressman told Fox News he was at the event with his daughter when it happened.
“The shot came straight at him,” he said, adding that “everyone hit the deck” and “scattered”.
Adam Bartholomew, who was at the event interviewing counter-protesters who were speaking against Kirk’s presence on campus, also said people initially dropped to the floor.
“There was confusion and people started scrambling for the exits,” he told the BBC.
“Several people are in tears,” he said of the atmosphere after the shooting.
Videos taken by witnesses show the rush to flee the scene after the shooting occurred.
A figure on the roof in separate video coverage appears to have been approximately 130m (142 yards) away from where Kirk was sitting.
Phil Lyman, a former Utah state representative, said he had been “involved politically” with Kirk and handed out baseball caps on stage with him before the event started.
“I went up to find some other people so I wasn’t next to him when he was shot, and I don’t know if I’m happy about that or that I wish I could’ve been there,” he told the Today programme.
He added that: “3,000 kids basically watched somebody shot right in front of them, it’s really traumatic. Really, really rough.”
Emma Pitts, a reporter at Utah-based Deseret News who attended the event, also described seeing the moment Kirk was shot.
“I’ll never get the image out of my head,” Pitts said.
Pitts added she was surprised that “nobody scanned our equipment, nobody scanned our bags, there was no security like that.”
Bartholomew also said he was “surprised” that there was no security at the event. “Nobody stopped me or searched my bag.”
Brock Anderson described the situation on campus as “scary”
The BBC has asked Utah Valley University for comment in response to security measures at the event.
The university had provided six security officers for the talk, in addition to Kirk’s private security detail.
In the aftermath of the attack, students were on lockdown and unable to get back to their apartments until the early hours of the morning, as the shooter remained at large.
“It’s unsettling around the campus right now, like I’m just trying to walk home, and it’s just unsettling,” said student Brock Anderson.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Planet Labs has collected satellite images that show just the level of precision in yesterday’s unprecedented Israeli airstrike on a Hamas compound in Doha, Qatar. The IAF hit a compound where negotiators for the terror group were meeting to consider a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forth by the U.S. government. You can read our initial reporting on that incident here.
The images offer views of what that compound looked like before and after the attack. The one taken after the attack shows it was confined to a cluster of five buildings without damage to surrounding structures. The building in the lower right corner of the compound appears to have suffered the most damage, but other areas of the compound are clearly affected too. This includes a small structure that sits near a pool being destroyed. The buildings right next to the compound seemed to have emerged largely unscathed.
You can see a street view of the strike in the following video.
Israeli officials said the Doha strike was carried out by 15 Israeli fighter jets, firing 10 precision munitions against a single target, the BBC reported, citing Israeli media. We don’t know at the moment what weapons were used.
Qatar and its U.S. guests have very advanced air defense systems and sensors that would provide prior alert to an impending attack, in most circumstances. With standoff munitions launched at distance the most likely means of attack, why there was no attempt to intercept these weapons if they were of unknown origin isn’t clear. The use of F-35s is possible here, as well, which may have been able to make closer proximity standoff attacks, but Israel has F-15 and F-16-launched weapons capable of reaching hundreds of miles and strike with pinpoint accuracy.
The U.S. military spotted Israeli jets flying east toward the Persian Gulf but had little time to react, according to Axios.
“The U.S. sought clarification, but by the time Israel provided it, missiles were already in the air,” the publication reported, citing three U.S. officials.
At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump “was informed of the impending strike by his military and alerted Qatar’s leadership,” White House spokesperson Karonline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.
So exactly what the U.S. knew about the impending strike and when, and when Qatar was informed, remains disputed at this time.
Qatari officials complained that they only found out about the attack after it took place. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said notification from the U.S. only came after explosions were heard in Doha. He did not address why his nation’s air defense system did not pick up the Israeli jets.
The statements being circulated about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are baseless. The call from a U.S. official came during the sound of explosions caused by the Israeli attack in Doha.
— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) September 9, 2025
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, however, said Israeli jets went undetected by radar.
Israel used weapons that were not detected by Qatari air defence radar, says Qatari PM Al Thani:
“US officials notified Qatar of Israeli attack 10 minutes after the attack began”
The Iranian Press TV news outlet questioned why “with many air defense systems present”…the U.S. hadn’t “fired a single shot to defend Qatar against the Israeli invasion.” The U.S. military’s largest salvo of Patriot interceptors took place at Al Udeid back in June, defending against an Iranian missile barrage. You can read more about that here.
As we previously reported, the widely condemned strike targeted Hamas leadership but killed five lower-level Hamas negotiators instead. Now it appears some Israeli officials are trying to distance themselves from that attack.
“Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, who has led Israel’s ceasefire negotiations for months, told U.S. officials that he was unaware of the specific strike plan when he met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff one day earlier, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing anonymous officials.
“David Barnea, the Mossad director who has played a key role in ceasefire talks, told US and Qatari mediators that he had no prior knowledge of the strikes and learned about them as they took place,” the network added. “But two other Israeli sources familiar with the discussions told CNN that Barnea was aware of the plans and had questioned the wisdom of carrying out the strikes at the same time as the U.S. was launching a new attempt to restart negotiations.
As the cable network noted, it is “highly unlikely that either official would have been unaware of the planning and decision-making to carry out such a high-profile strike.”
In an exclusive interview with CNN on Wednesday, Al Thani expressed outrage at the attack, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “needs to be brought to justice,” and that Arab nations were working on what steps to take next.
“There is a response that will happen from the region,” he told the network. “This response is currently under consultation and discussion with other partners in the region,” Al Thani said. An Arab-Islamic summit will be held in Doha in the coming days, where the participants will decide on a course of action.”
Qatar’s PM to CNN:
There will be a “collective response” to Israel’s strike on Hamas officials in Doha.
Al Thani added that Netanyahu is “trying to undermine any chance of stability, any chance of peace” by attacking Hamas’ leadership in Doha.All this leaves the future of negotiations between Israel and Hamas in doubt. Israel is planning a full-scale ground assault on the Palestinian enclave, where tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in constant bombardment. These attacks follow the surprise Hamas incursion into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 and resulted in the capture of hundreds of hostages, some still in Gaza.
Flames and smoke rise from the building following Israel’s attack on the al-Ruya Tower in Gaza City, Gaza, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images) Anadolu
Meanwhile, a day after the Qatar strike, Israel said it carried out airstrikes on targets in Yemen belonging to the Houthi rebels.
“A short while ago, the IAF struck military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in the areas of Sanaa and Al Jawf in Yemen,” the IDF said on Telegram. “Among the targets struck are military camps in which operatives of the terrorist regime were identified, the Houthis’ Military Public Relations Headquarters, and a fuel storage facility that was used by the terrorist regime for terrorist activity.”
⭕️The IDF struck military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in the areas of Sanaa and Al Jawf in Yemen.
Among the targets struck: • Military camps in which the Houthi regime gathered intelligence, and planned & executed terrorist attacks against Israel. • A…
The IDF claimed that the airstrikes were “conducted in response to attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel, including launching UAVs and surface-to-surface missiles toward Israeli territory.”
Israel justified its attack by saying that the Houthis’ public relations department is “responsible for distributing and disseminating propaganda messages in the media, including speeches of Houthis leader Abd al-Malik and spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree’s statements. During the war, the headquarters led the propaganda efforts and the terrorist regime’s psychological terror.”
The military camps that were struck “served the Houthi regime to plan and execute terrorist attacks against the State of Israel,” the IDF claimed. “Additionally, the military camps included operation and intelligence rooms.”
The Houthis claim without proof that they deflected most of the attack.
“Our air defenses were able to launch a number of surface-to-air missiles during the confrontation of the Zionist aggression on our country, forcing some combat formations to retreat before carrying out their aggression, and thwarting the majority of the attack, thanks to God,” Saree, a target of the airstrike, stated on X. You can read more about the Houthis’ air defenses in our deep dive here.
دفاعاتُنا الجوية تتصدى في هذه الأثناء للطائرات الإسرائيلية التي تشن عدوانا على بلدِنا.
Video and images emerged on social media showing explosions in the Yemeni capital, followed by flames and trails of smoke.
⚡ Israel bombs houthis
An airstrike was carried out on the Houthi government complex in the capital of Yemen, Sana’a. Media reports indicate hits on the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff buildings.
This is the latest in a series of attacks Israel has carried out against the Houthis in response to the Iranian-backed rebel group’s firing missiles and drones at Israel. The Houthis say they are supporting Hamas and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and on Sunday, sent a drone that breached Israel’s vaunted multilayered air defenses and slammed into the country’s southern airport. You can see a video of that incident below.
The mystery as to how Israel pulled off its strike in Qatar remains unsolved at this time, but hopefully we will learn more in the coming days about what was truly an unprecedented and highly controversial operation.
Horrific scenes in Gaza City show at least two Palestinians killed and three badly wounded people clinging to life, after Israel struck a bustling street in Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood. The attack comes as Israel announced it had begun its planned offensive to seize Gaza City and displace the one million Palestinians living there.
![A boy fills a plastic bottle with water inside a camp for displaced Palestinians at a school-turned-shelter in Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025. [File: Omar Al Qattaa]](https://occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/000_834T3FC-1762594052.jpg)
