Large numbers of rats and other rodents, believed to be originating from devastated areas inside the Gaza Strip, have spread into Israeli settlements surrounding Gaza, causing growing concern over public health, sanitation and agricultural losses.
The Eshkol Regional Council, an Israeli authority responsible for settlements near Gaza, said rodents had spread through public areas, educational institutions and open spaces, raising concerns over hygiene and public health.
Palestinian environmental expert Professor Abdel Fattah Abdel Rabbo said the environmental “hell” created in Gaza by the war of genocide that began on 7 October 2023 is now extending into nearby Israeli settlements.
Gaza itself continues to face an environmental catastrophe caused by widespread destruction, damaged infrastructure and the absence of adequate pest control, with conditions increasingly favourable for the proliferation of rats and other pests.
An Environment Ideal for Rodent Proliferation
Abdel Rabbo explained that Gaza’s 360-square-kilometre environment has become exceptionally attractive to commensal rodents because of the enormous quantities of rubble created by the destruction.
Estimates indicate that around 70 million tonnes of rubble now cover the Strip.
According to Abdel Rabbo, the debris creates a porous environment filled with cavities and hidden spaces that provide fertile conditions for rats, rodents, snakes, stray dogs, cats and harmful insects to shelter and reproduce.
Speaking to Arabi21, he said the greatest problem with rats and rodents is the extraordinary speed at which they reproduce.
“They reproduce like hell,” he said, explaining that females can give birth every 21 days to between six and 10 offspring.
A female can become pregnant again the day after giving birth, while newly born females can themselves become pregnant after around 30 days and give birth approximately three weeks later.
Abdel Rabbo said Gaza’s rubble also contains organic materials, food and water that encourage rodent reproduction.
Solid waste offers many of the basic resources they require, while Gaza residents’ efforts to store food amid fears of famine have unintentionally provided further opportunities for rodents to find shelter and food.
The destruction of water networks, sewage systems and sanitation infrastructure across the Strip has added to these conditions, creating what he described as a breeding ground for rats and other rodents.
Given the near-total destruction inflicted on Gaza, Abdel Rabbo said the Strip’s environmental carrying capacity has effectively overflowed, creating conditions in which rats, rodents and stray dogs can spread beyond Gaza itself.
He warned that such movement could cause suffering, disease and economic losses wherever the animals spread.
Because of their rapid reproductive rate, rodents can move towards Israeli settlements surrounding Gaza, multiply there and threaten both agriculture and public health.
Agricultural and Economic Losses
The spread of rodents remains a severe problem for Palestinians inside Gaza, where Israel has prevented the entry of essential pest-control materials and equipment.
Abdel Rabbo said the environmental crisis is now also affecting Israelis living in settlements near the Strip.
“As you suffer, they suffer,” he said, while stressing that Israel possesses extensive resources for rodent control whereas Gaza effectively has none.
Gaza residents are largely dependent on primitive and ineffective methods of pest control.
The threat is particularly serious because the areas surrounding Gaza are heavily agricultural and include livestock farms raising sheep, goats, cattle and poultry.
Abdel Rabbo said rats and rodents are major agricultural pests capable of destroying crops.
They can also enter homes, create psychological distress and, in some cases, injure people.
If they enter hospitals, he added, they can also damage equipment.
Rodent attacks on crops, particularly stored produce, can result in severe financial losses.
Abdel Rabbo explained that rat saliva and urine can contaminate stored crops and create damp conditions in dark storage spaces, encouraging the growth of toxic fungi.
As a result, crops may become unsuitable for export or human consumption, leading to what is known as crop loss.
Some particularly aggressive rats can also enter livestock facilities such as poultry farms and cause further losses.
He said the health, psychological and environmental problems created by rodent infestations could cause significant hardship for residents of Israeli settlements surrounding Gaza because the area contains large amounts of agricultural land and livestock.
“Just as we suffer in Gaza from these problems, they also suffer,” he said.
Calls for Urgent Action in Gaza
Abdel Rabbo called for urgent action to combat pests inside the devastated Gaza Strip.
He urged the rapid removal of rubble, the beginning of actual reconstruction and the entry of all necessary materials and equipment required to combat disease vectors and address Gaza’s worsening health and environmental problems.
The environmental consequences of Gaza’s destruction are already appearing beyond the Strip.
On Monday, Haaretz reported an “unprecedented spread” of rodents in recent weeks at military sites and settlements adjacent to Gaza.
According to the newspaper, at least 10 people have been bitten.
Its investigation also documented several cases of children being bitten by rats in settlements during the past two years.
The newspaper said rodents have increasingly become a problem for Israeli soldiers deployed east of Gaza, while reports of infestations are rising in Israeli communities along the border with the Strip.
