‘Death sentence’: Asbestos released by Israeli bombs will kill for decades | Israel-Palestine Conflicts News

Israel’s relentless attack on Gaza has unleashed yet another deadly, but silent enemy to the people there – asbestos.

A mineral that poses little risk to humans if left untreated but causes cancer if dispersed and released into the atmosphere, asbestos is present in all buildings in Gaza.

In the past year, Israeli bombs have caused many of them to break up into small, airborne particles that can cause cancer in those who breathe them, leading experts to say that cancer cases will likely be reported in Gaza for “decades”.

According to United Nations estimates, some 800,000 tons of bombed debris throughout Gaza may be contaminated with asbestos.

This is a “death sentence” for Palestinians trapped in Gaza, leading asbestos expert Roger Willey told Al Jazeera.

‘A disaster that will happen in the coming years’

The asbestos exposure of people caught after each of the bombings in Israel can be compared to what happened at the World Trade Center when it collapsed in New York City on September 11, 2001, Willey said.

Years later, it became clear that toxic chemicals, including asbestos, were in the dust clouds.

“I made a prediction at that time [in 2001] that more people will die from asbestos-related diseases than were killed in the September 11th attacks,” said Willey.

According to the World Trade Center Health Program, 4,343 survivors and first responders have died from related illnesses since the attacks compared to 2,974 people who died on September 11.

“It will be exactly the same as Gaza,” Willey continued.

“[A]irborne concentrations [of asbestos] … it’s going to be much higher, and that’s been confirmed with mesothelioma,” Willey said, referring to the cancer that usually develops in the lining of the lungs or stomach.

Asbestos exposure can also cause lung, throat and ovarian cancer and asbestosis, which the US National Cancer Institute describes as “an inflammatory condition affecting the lungs that can cause shortness of breath, coughing and permanent lung damage”.

Marcy Borders, pictured below, survived the WTC attacks and was considered lucky to be alive. But it can take decades for asbestos-related cancers to develop.

Dust Lady died of stomach cancer in 2015.

“The rescuers on September 11th … were exposed to asbestos particles for 10 to 12 hours before continuing the next day,” Willey said.

“That is a death sentence… that will be the same for the people of Gaza.”

The comparison with September 11 is important as that was one of the only incidents where it was possible to study asbestos exposure after the explosion, said Liz Darlison, CEO of the charity Mesothelioma UK.

“It’s very easy to get caught up in the immediate consequences” of destruction, he said.

The immediate dangers posed by ground fighting and aerial bombardment always take precedence over long-term dangers, he noted.

However, the long-term effects of asbestos exposure will be “catastrophic 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 – more than 70 percent of all work-related cancer deaths.

Asbestos is everywhere, in refugee camps

Because of its insulating and fireproofing 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 in the besieged area, Israel has been bombing Gaza’s refugee camps where, UNEP told Al Jazeera, asbestos was found “in old buildings and temporary houses and 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 during an attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp.

In 2009, UNEP said it had found one of the most dangerous forms of asbestos, blue asbestos (crocidolite), in the same destroyed buildings in Gaza’s refugee camps, as well as in sewage pipes, cleaning facilities and livestock.

There is no escape, no ‘safe’ level of exposure

The best thing to do if asbestos is disturbed and becomes airborne “is to get in the car and drive as far away from it as possible”, says Willey.

An impossible solution for the more than two million Palestinians crammed into an area of ​​about 365 square kilometers (141sq miles) of which, the UN has warned, only 11 percent is considered safe.

In addition, adequate cleaning procedures can take years and should be done by professionals, Willey said.

In Gaza now, he said: “You smashed pieces of asbestos on the ground, in the air because of the explosion, and people are walking on it and kicking it all the time, so it won’t go back to a safe place.” nature until all is removed”.

Darlison said that after an explosion released asbestos, there would be no “safe level of exposure”.

“What you need is a big ‘Do Not Enter’ skull and crossbones sign, and only professionals in full decontamination gear are allowed near the exposure,” he said.

Well aware of the damage asbestos can cause, Darlison said he “can’t bear” to watch the smoke billow from the explosions in Gaza.

“It is sad to know that the legacy of this war will continue for many years,” he said.