Marking World Environment Day, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees has highlighted the harm Israel’s assault has done to the environment in the Gaza Strip in a post on X, Al Jazeera reports.

UNRWA said the fighting has caused “catastrophic damage to the natural environment” that Palestinians depend on for water, clean air, food and livelihoods.

It added that restoring environmental services to Gaza will take “decades” and can begin only when a ceasefire and an end to the fighting are achieved.

In late January this year, research found that the carbon footprint of Israel’s military campaign on Gaza exceeded the annual emissions of 20 small countries.