Israeli newspaper Haaretz has reported an “unprecedented spread” of rodents in recent weeks across Israeli military positions and settlements bordering the Gaza Strip, with at least 10 people reportedly bitten.
In an investigation published on Monday, the newspaper said several cases of children being bitten by rats had been documented in Israeli settlements over the past two years. Rodents have also become a growing problem for Israeli soldiers deployed east of Gaza, while reports of infestations are increasing across Israeli communities along the border with the Strip.
According to Haaretz, the first reports came from communities within the Eshkol Regional Council area, stretching from Kerem Shalom to Kissufim. Residents further north, including in Nahal Oz and Kfar Aza, have recently reported similar problems.
Crop Production Falls
The infestation involves several types of rodents, ranging from mice and jirds, small rodents commonly found in agricultural fields, to rats.
Haaretz reported that jirds had caused peanut crop yields in some fields in the area to fall by around 70%, while residents said rodents were now appearing throughout the settlements.
Some residents told the newspaper they had removed around 100 rodents from their homes, while another said he had never seen anything like the current infestation.
The Eshkol Regional Council said rodents had spread into public spaces, educational institutions and open areas, raising concerns over public health and sanitation.
The scale of the complaints led officials to conclude that the problem was neither localised nor limited in scope.
The council subsequently contacted the ministries of agriculture, environmental protection and health, and began coordinating monitoring and pest-control efforts with the Israeli military.
War Conditions Linked to Infestation
Citing experts, Haaretz suggested that the proliferation of rodents may be linked to the disruption caused by Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza side of the border has been left largely unattended because of the fighting and Israeli military control of the area, potentially creating undisturbed spaces where rodents could burrow and reproduce.
The newspaper said unusually heavy rainfall in the region during the previous winter, combined with relatively mild temperatures in spring, had also created favourable conditions for rapid reproduction.
Rodents are capable of multiplying at considerable speed. A rat can give birth to seven offspring at a time and produce another litter approximately every month.
Since 7 October 2023, Israel has been committing genocide in the Gaza Strip with US support, killing more than 73,000 Palestinians and injuring over 174,000, while causing massive destruction affecting around 90% of infrastructure, including roads and sewage networks.
Tel Aviv continues to refuse to fully open crossings and allow the entry of food, medical and humanitarian aid, as well as construction materials required for reconstruction and the rehabilitation of water and sewage networks.
