As if creating humanitarian and economic disaster wasn’t enough, Israel has also waged a war on the environment. Israeli planes conducted an airstrike on a Lebanese power plant, releasing 15,000 tons of oil into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Five of six storage tanks were bombed at the plant in the coastal village El-Jiye. The spill has spread along the entire length of Lebanon’s coastline, reaching Syrian beaches as well. Wael Hmaidan, of Lebanon’s Green Line Association environmental group said, “Depending on the winds and sea currents, the spill could reach Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. The images are horrifying,” he said. “The oil covers entire beaches and seeps into the sand. The longer it sits on the beach, the harder it will be to clean up … We don’t yet even know the extent of the pollution, because we are still under fire and are not able to survey it properly.”

The eastern Mediterranean coastline is a delicate ecosystem. Around this time is when green turtle eggs begin to hatch on Lebanon’s beaches. The baby turtles instinctively head for water, but now that the sea is a toxic sludge, environmentalists expect severely high casualties amongst this species which is already endangered. Bluefin tuna, an endangered yet significant commercial species, will also suffer greatly from the spill. In addition to the oil spill itself, toxic plumes of smoke fill the air. The smoke comes from fires at the power plant, ignited by Israeli strikes, and can be seen from 37 miles away.

Lebanon faces two obstacles in dealing with the cleanup: a lack of workers and resources, and the inability to operate a cleanup without being killed by Israeli military strikes. The Lebanese Ministry of the Environment has asked for help from the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and from the Kuwaiti government. The cleanup is expected to take 6 months to complete. Achim Steiner, a UN undersecretary-general and UNEP’s executive director, said a team of experts is ready to assist with the cleanup, but that they must wait until hostilities cease. He continued by saying, “We must also be concerned about the short- and long-term impacts on the marine environment, including the biodiversity upon which so many people depend for their livelihoods and living, via tourism and fishing.” So far, Israel is not allowing any equipment to be operated on Lebanese beaches. Israel’s naval blockade is also prohibiting ships from assisting in the cleanup effort.

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