Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza has unleashed another deadly but silent enemy against the population: asbestos.
A mineral that poses little risk to humans when left undisturbed, but is highly carcinogenic when dispersed and released into the atmosphere, asbestos is present in most structures in Gaza.
Over the past year, Israeli bombs have broken large quantities of the substance into tiny airborne particles, which can potentially cause cancer in those who breathe it, leading experts to claim that cancer cases will likely be reported “for decades” in Gaza.
According to United Nations estimates, some 800,000 tons of bombed debris across Gaza may be contaminated with asbestos.
It is a “death sentence” for Palestinians stuck in Gaza, leading asbestos expert Roger Willey told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“A tragedy that will unfold in the years to come”
The asbestos exposure of people caught in the aftermath of each of the Israeli bombings can be compared to that around the World Trade Center when it collapsed in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, Willey said.
Years later, it became clear that toxic chemicals, including asbestos, were in the dust clouds.
“I predicted then (in 2001) that there would be more deaths from asbestos-related diseases than 9/11,” Willey said.
According to the World Trade Center Health Program, 4,343 survivors and first responders have died from related illnesses since the attack, compared to 2,974 people who died on 9/11.
“It will be exactly the same in Gaza,” Willey continued.
“(A)sbestos concentrations in the air will be extremely high, and that’s guaranteed mesothelioma,” Willey said, referring to a cancer that typically forms in the lining around the lungs or l ‘abdomen.
Exposure to asbestos can also lead to lung, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers, as well as asbestosis, which the U.S. National Cancer Institute describes as an “inflammatory disease affecting the lungs that can cause severe shortness of breath, cough and permanent lung damage.
Marcy Borders, pictured below, survived the WTC attack and was considered lucky to be alive. But it can take decades for asbestos-related cancers to appear.
The Dust Lady died of stomach cancer in 2015.
“The 9/11 rescue crews…were exposed to asbestos particles for 10 to 12 hours before continuing the next day,” Willey said.
“It’s a death sentence… it will be the same for the people of Gaza.”
The comparison with 9/11 is important because it was one of the only incidents in which it was possible to study asbestos exposure after an explosion, said Liz Darlison, CEO of the charity Mesothelioma UK.
“It’s very easy to worry about the immediate consequences” of the destruction, she said.
The immediate dangers posed by ground combat and aerial bombardment always take precedence over long-term dangers, she stressed.
However, the long-term effects of asbestos exposure will be a “tragedy that will unfold for years to come,” Darlison said.
In 2016, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said that occupational exposure to asbestos caused an estimated 209,481 deaths, accounting for more than 70 percent of all deaths from work-related cancers.
Asbestos omnipresent in refugee camps
Due to its insulating and fire-retardant qualities, asbestos was widely used in construction until the late 1980s, when countries around the world, including Israel, began to introduce restrictions. Israel completely banned the use of asbestos in buildings in 2011.
Since the start of its war against the besieged enclave, Israel has regularly bombed Gaza’s refugee camps where, UNEP told Tel Aviv Tribune, asbestos was found “in the oldest buildings and in hangars and temporary extensions found in refugee camps.”
In December, 90 people were killed and more than 100 injured in an attack on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
In June, Israel killed more than 270 Palestinians and injured around 700 others in a raid on the Nuseirat refugee camp.
In 2009, UNEP said it had discovered one of the most dangerous types of asbestos, blue asbestos (crocidolite), in the same damaged buildings and sheds in Gaza refugee camps, as well as in pipelines. sewers, treatment plants and livestock facilities.
No escape, no “safe” exposure level
The best thing to do if asbestos is disturbed and becomes airborne is to “get in a car and get as far away from it as possible,” Willey said.
A solution that is simply not possible for the more than two million Palestinians crammed into this enclave of approximately 365 square kilometers (141 square miles) of which, according to the UN, only 11 percent remains considered a zone of security.
Additionally, proper cleaning processes can take years and should be done by professionals, Willey said.
In Gaza now, he said: “You have broken pieces of asbestos on the ground, in the air from the explosion, and people step on it and lift it up all the time, so it will never come back to a safe place. environment until everything is cleared.”
Darlison said that after an explosion releasing asbestos, there simply would not be a “safe level of exposure.”
“What you need is a big sign with a skull saying ‘Do not enter,’ and only specialists wearing full decontamination gear are allowed near the exposure,” he said. -she declared.
Fully aware of the damage asbestos can cause, Darlison said she “couldn’t stand” watching the smoke billow from explosions in Gaza.
“It is heartbreaking to know that the legacy of this war will live on for many years to come,” she said.
