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<h1>‘Death sentence’: Asbestos released by Israel’s bombs will kill for decades</h1><p class="gmail-article__subhead"><em>People in Gaza are exposed to airborne particles released as Israel destroys the enclave. Inhaled, it can cause cancers.</em></p><div class="gmail-responsive-image"><img src="https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/343K6VP-highres-1703365130.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80" alt="An injured Palestinian woman covered in dust and blood hugs an injured girl child at the hospital following the Israeli bombardment of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip." width="394" height="262" style="margin-right: 25px;"></div>An
injured Palestinian woman covered in dust and blood hugs an injured
girl at the hospital following the Israeli bombardment of Khan Yunis on
November 15, 2023 [Belal Khaled/AFP]<div class="gmail-article-info-block"><div class="gmail-article-b-l"><div class="gmail-article-author-name"><span class="gmail-article-by">By </span><span class="gmail-article-author-name-item"><a class="gmail-author-link" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/author/nils-adler">Nils Adler</a></span></div><div class="gmail-article-dates"><div class="gmail-date-simple gmail-css-1yjq2zp"><span class="gmail-screen-reader-text">Published On 8 Oct 2024</span><span aria-hidden="true"> - </span><font size="1"><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/8/death-sentence-asbestos-released-by-israels-bombs-will-kill-generations">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/8/death-sentence-asbestos-released-by-israels-bombs-will-kill-generations</a></font></div></div></div><div class="gmail-social-share-buttons"><div class="gmail-update-reading-list"></div></div></div><div class="gmail-update-reading-list"><span class="gmail-update-reading-list__tooltip" role="tooltip"></span></div><a class="gmail-social-share-button gmail-fbc-has-badge gmail-fbc-UID_3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Share on Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.io%2Ffbvi6b"></a><a class="gmail-social-share-button" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Share on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%98Death%20sentence%E2%80%99%3A%20Asbestos%20released%20by%20Israel%E2%80%99s%20bombs%20will%20kill%20for%20decades&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.io%2Ffbvi6b"></a><a class="gmail-social-share-button gmail-copylink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Copy link" href="https://aje.io/fbvi6b"></a><p>Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza has unleashed yet another deadly, but silent enemy on the people there – asbestos.</p>
<p>A mineral that poses little risk to humans when undisturbed but that
is highly carcinogenic when dispersed and released into the atmosphere,
asbestos is present throughout much of Gaza’s structures.</p>
<p>Over the past year, Israel’s bombs have caused vast amounts of it to
be broken into tiny, airborne particles, which can potentially cause
cancer in those who breathe it in, leading experts to say cases of
cancer will likely be reported “for decades” in Gaza.</p><div style="display:block;min-width:0px;max-width:770px"><div class="gmail-video-player-facade-container"><div class="gmail-aj-video-player gmail-in-article-bc-video-player gmail-aj-parsed-component"><span class="gmail-video-js gmail-vjs-paused gmail-vjs-controls-enabled gmail-vjs-workinghover gmail-vjs-v8 gmail-vjs-user-active gmail-vjs-layout-medium gmail-bc-player-6tKQRAx7lu_default gmail-bc-player-6tKQRAx7lu_default-index-0 gmail-vjs-mouse gmail-vjs-ad-controls gmail-vjs-ima3-html5 gmail-vjs-plugins-ready gmail-pause-controller gmail-vjs-player-info gmail-vjs-contextmenu-ui gmail-vjs-viewability gmail-vjs-errors gmail-vjs-quality-menu gmail-vjs-hide-controls" id="gmail-vjs_video_3" tabindex="-1" lang="en" role="region" aria-label="Video Player"><div class="gmail-vjs-poster" aria-disabled="false"><span class="gmail-vjs-poster" tabindex="-1"><img alt="" src="https://cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/665003303001/6541a578-69a5-436e-9a9b-facf5e8ebe3b/14b74a87-57c3-41a4-af02-84745c6e846a/1920x1080/match/image.jpg" width="394" height="222" style="margin-right: 0px;"></span></div><div class="gmail-vjs-text-track-display"><div style="margin:1.5%"></div></div></span></div></div></div><div class="gmail-aj-video-player gmail-in-article-bc-video-player gmail-aj-parsed-component"><span class="gmail-video-js gmail-vjs-paused gmail-vjs-controls-enabled gmail-vjs-workinghover gmail-vjs-v8 gmail-vjs-user-active gmail-vjs-layout-medium gmail-bc-player-6tKQRAx7lu_default gmail-bc-player-6tKQRAx7lu_default-index-0 gmail-vjs-mouse gmail-vjs-ad-controls gmail-vjs-ima3-html5 gmail-vjs-plugins-ready gmail-pause-controller gmail-vjs-player-info gmail-vjs-contextmenu-ui gmail-vjs-viewability gmail-vjs-errors gmail-vjs-quality-menu gmail-vjs-hide-controls" id="gmail-vjs_video_3" tabindex="-1" lang="en" role="region" aria-label="Video Player"></span></div><div class="gmail-video-duration__brand-bar"><span class="gmail-screen-reader-text">Video Duration 1 minutes 49 seconds <br></span></div>
<p> </p><p>According to United Nations estimates, some 800,000 tonnes of the
bombed-out debris across Gaza may be contaminated with asbestos.</p>
<p>This is a “death sentence” for Palestinians trapped in Gaza, leading asbestos expert Roger Willey told Al Jazeera.</p>
<h2><span style="font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,Oxygen,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Fira Sans","Droid Sans","Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;font-weight:bold">‘A tragedy that will unfold in the years ahead’</span></h2>
<p>The asbestos exposure of people caught in the aftermath of each of
Israel’s bombing raids can be compared to that around the World Trade
Center when it collapsed in New York City on September 11, 2001, Willey
said.</p>
<p>Years later, it became apparent that toxic chemicals, including asbestos, were in the dust clouds.</p>
<p>“I made a prediction then [in 2001] that more people would die from
the asbestos-related diseases than were killed in the September 11
attacks,” Willey said.</p>
<img class="gmail-size-arc-image-770 gmail-wp-image-3230861" src="https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/INTERACTIVE-Health-Risks-of-Asbestos-Exposure-1728378201.png?w=770&resize=770%2C963&quality=80" alt="INTERACTIVE - Health Risks of Asbestos Exposure-1728378201" width="315" height="394" style="margin-right: 0px;">(Al Jazeera)
<p>According to the World Trade Center Health Program, 4,343 survivors
and first responders have died from related illnesses since the attack
compared to the 2,974 people who died on September 11.</p>
<p>“It’s going to be exactly the same in Gaza,” Willey continued.</p>
<p>“[A]irborne concentrations [of asbestos] … will be enormously high,
and that is guaranteed mesothelioma,” Willey said, referring to a cancer
that commonly forms in the lining around the lungs or abdomen.</p>
<p>Asbestos exposure can also result in cancers of the lung, larynx and
ovaries as well as 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”.</p>
<p>Marcy Borders, pictured below, survived the WTC attack and was
considered lucky to be alive. But it can take decades for
asbestos-related cancers to emerge.</p>
<img class="gmail-size-arc-image-770 gmail-wp-image-1510417" src="https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/000_APW2001091109637-1.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80" alt="Dust Lady Sep 11 Gaza" width="394" height="262" style="margin-right: 25px;">After
the September 11 attacks, a photojournalist took the now-iconic image
of startled receptionist Marcy Borders, who later came to be widely
known as the ‘Dust Lady’ [File: Stan Honda/AFP Photo]
<p>The Dust Lady died of stomach cancer in 2015.</p>
<p>“The rescue crews on September 11 … were exposed to asbestos
particles for 10 to 12 hours before continuing the next day,” Willey
said.</p>
<p>“That’s a death sentence… that’s going to be the same for the people in Gaza.”</p>
<p>The comparison to September 11 is important as that was one of the
only incidents in which it was possible to study asbestos exposure after
an explosion, said Liz Darlison, CEO of the charity Mesothelioma UK.</p>
<p>“It’s very easy to be preoccupied with the immediate aftermath” of the destruction, she said.</p>
<p>Immediate dangers posed by ground fighting and aerial bombardments always take precedence over long-term hazards, she noted.</p><div style="display:block;min-width:0px;max-width:770px"><div class="gmail-video-player-facade-container"><div class="gmail-aj-video-player gmail-in-article-bc-video-player gmail-aj-parsed-component"><span class="gmail-video-js gmail-vjs-paused gmail-vjs-controls-enabled gmail-vjs-workinghover gmail-vjs-v8 gmail-vjs-user-active gmail-vjs-layout-medium gmail-bc-player-6tKQRAx7lu_default gmail-bc-player-6tKQRAx7lu_default-index-1 gmail-vjs-mouse gmail-vjs-ad-controls gmail-vjs-ima3-html5 gmail-vjs-plugins-ready gmail-pause-controller gmail-vjs-player-info gmail-vjs-contextmenu-ui gmail-vjs-viewability gmail-vjs-errors gmail-vjs-quality-menu gmail-vjs-hide-controls" id="gmail-vjs_video_1458" tabindex="-1" lang="en" role="region" aria-label="Video Player"><div class="gmail-vjs-poster" aria-disabled="false"><span class="gmail-vjs-poster" tabindex="-1"><img alt="" src="https://cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/665003303001/860999d0-d896-41b1-8401-28b20e2a9e61/dce55df7-0d43-4698-b0f6-8ff36aec7cae/1920x1080/match/image.jpg" width="394" height="222" style="margin-right: 0px;"></span></div><div class="gmail-vjs-text-track-display"><div style="margin:1.5%"></div></div></span></div></div></div><div style="display:block;min-width:0px;max-width:770px"><div class="gmail-video-player-facade-container"><div class="gmail-aj-video-player gmail-in-article-bc-video-player gmail-aj-parsed-component"><span class="gmail-video-js gmail-vjs-paused gmail-vjs-controls-enabled gmail-vjs-workinghover gmail-vjs-v8 gmail-vjs-user-active gmail-vjs-layout-medium gmail-bc-player-6tKQRAx7lu_default gmail-bc-player-6tKQRAx7lu_default-index-1 gmail-vjs-mouse gmail-vjs-ad-controls gmail-vjs-ima3-html5 gmail-vjs-plugins-ready gmail-pause-controller gmail-vjs-player-info gmail-vjs-contextmenu-ui gmail-vjs-viewability gmail-vjs-errors gmail-vjs-quality-menu gmail-vjs-hide-controls" id="gmail-vjs_video_1458" tabindex="-1" lang="en" role="region" aria-label="Video Player"></span></div><div class="gmail-video-duration__brand-bar"><span class="gmail-screen-reader-text">Video Duration 2 minutes 48 seconds </span><span aria-hidden="true" class="gmail-video-duration__duration">2:48</span></div></div>
<p></p></div>
<p> </p>
<p>However, the long-term effects of asbestos exposure will constitute a
“tragedy that will unfold in the years ahead”, Darlison said.</p>
<p>In 2016, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said
occupational asbestos exposure had caused an estimated 209,481 deaths –
more than 70 percent of all deaths from work-related cancers.</p>
<h2 id="gmail-ubiquitous-asbestos-in-the-refugee-camps">Ubiquitous asbestos, in the refugee camps</h2>
<p>Due to its insulating and fireproofing qualities, asbestos was widely
used in construction until the late 1980s, when countries worldwide,
including Israel, began introducing restrictions. <span><font size="2">Israel fully banned the use of asbestos in buildings in 2011.</font></span></p>
<p>Since its war on the besieged enclave began, Israel has routinely
bombed Gaza’s refugee camps where, UNEP told Al Jazeera, asbestos was
found “in the older buildings and temporary sheds and extensions found
in the refugee camps”.</p>
<img class="gmail-size-arc-image-770 gmail-wp-image-3230863" src="https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/INTERACTIVE-Countries-with-asbestos-bans-1728378207.png?w=770&resize=770%2C963&quality=80" alt="INTERACTIVE - Countries with asbestos bans-1728378207" width="315" height="394" style="margin-right: 0px;">(Al Jazeera)
<p>In December, 90 people were killed and more than 100 injured in an <font size="2"><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/17/at-least-90-killed-in-latest-israeli-attacks-on-gazas-jabalia-refugee-camp">attack on Jabalia refugee camp</a></font> in northern Gaza.</p>
<p>In June, Israel killed more than 270 Palestinians and injured around 700 others in a <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/6/9/israels-rescue-of-four-captives-kills-hundreds-of-palestinians-in-gaza">raid on Nuseirat refugee camp</a>.</p>
<p>In 2009, UNEP said it found one of the most dangerous types of
asbestos, blue asbestos (crocidolite), in the same damaged buildings and
sheds in the refugee camps of Gaza, as well as in sewage pipes,
treatment stations and livestock facilities.</p>
<h2 id="gmail-no-escape-no-safe-level-of-exposure">No escape, no ‘safe’ level of exposure</h2>
<p>The best thing to do if asbestos is disturbed and becomes airborne is
to “get in a car and drive as far away from it as possible”, Willey
said.</p>
<p>A solution that is simply not possible for the more than two million
Palestinians crammed in the enclave of about 365 square kilometres
(141sq miles) of which, the UN has warned, only 11 percent remains
considered a <a href="https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2024/displacement-israel-war-on-gaza-no-safe-place/?">safe zone</a>.</p>
<img class="gmail-size-arc-image-770 gmail-wp-image-3142554" src="https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2014-11-26T000000Z_1222247036_RTR4FP0W_RTRMADP_3_PHOTOGRAPHERS-STORY-POY2014-1724674986.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C542&quality=80" alt="asbestos" width="394" height="277" style="margin-right: 25px;">Palestinians
rescue Mahmoud al-Ghol from under the rubble of a house with asbestos
ceilings that was struck by Israel F-16s during Israel’s 2014 war on
Gaza. In Rafah [File: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters]
<p>Furthermore, adequate clean-up processes can take years and must be carried out by professionals, Willey said.</p>
<p>In Gaza now, he said: “You’ve got smashed asbestos pieces on the
ground, in the air from the explosion, and people are walking through it
and kicking it up all the time, so it’ll never come back to a safe
environment until it’s all cleared away”.</p>
<p>Darlison said after an explosion that releases asbestos, there would simply be no “safe level of exposure”.</p>
<p>“What you need is a big sign with a skull and crossbones saying ‘Do
not enter’, and only specialists wearing full decontamination equipment
allowed near the exposure,” she said.</p>
<p>Acutely aware of the damage asbestos can cause, Darlison said she
“cannot bear” to watch the smoke billowing from the explosions in Gaza.</p>
<p>“It’s heartbreaking to know that the legacy of this war will continue for many years,” she said.</p><li tabindex="4"><br> <div class="gmail-playlist-item-image-container"><div class="gmail-video-item-duration-container gmail-playlist-item-duration-container"></div></div></li></div>