GAZA CITY, Palestine

Israel's use of internationally banned munitions in the attacks on the Gaza Strip not only increased casualties but also led to the loss of agricultural land productivity, according to a Palestinian official.

"Israel used many internationally banned munitions in the Gaza Strip, such as white phosphorus, harmful bombs, and missiles from the US,” Director of the Palestinian Agricultural Work Committees Union Moayyad Bsharat told Anadolu.

He noted that these weapons could cause blindness, cancer, as well as amputation of hands and feet, and skin burns in the future.

"These substances also poison the soil and the crops grown on it," Bsharat warned.

He pointed out that farmers could be at risk of developing skin cancer or other respiratory-related diseases due to their contact with and direct exposure to these materials.

Bsharat drew attention to the negative impact of Israel's use of banned munitions on people, animals, and the environment in the Gaza Strip.

He quoted some researchers as saying that lands where these substances were used might not be suitable for agriculture for three to five years or might not be very productive.

"There are videos showing that Israeli bombs create craters up to 10 meters deep. Therefore, it's impossible to determine the degree of soil burning, which means the soil is completely burned and lost its productivity," Bsharat added.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara