Some Insights on Application of the International Law to the Damaged Environment during the War in Gaza

The paper deals with the environmental damage caused during the war in the Gaza Strip. The issue is mainly examined from the perspective of the international humanitarian law. The war in Gaza is perceived as an international armed conflict and thus the relevant provisions of the Additional Protocol I as well as general principles of international humanitarian law are applied. The problem is first examined from a broader point of view and deals with the effects of military operations on the environment of Gaza as a whole, explaining which parts of the environment have been damaged. Subsequently, attention is paid to two specific cases, the alleged use of white phosphorus and the flooding of the tunnels with seawater and the impacts of these actions on the environment. Because it cannot be completely ruled out, that the environmental damage in Gaza might become a matter of concern of the ICC, the environmental damage is also marginally assessed from the perspective of the international criminal law. The paper is aimed to contribute to the academic discussion on whether and under what circumstances, it would be possible to consider the examined conduct as breaching the obligations of the state carrying out the military operations.