Sharon ruining Palestinian environment - minister
Date: 08-Oct-01
Country: EGYPT
Environment Minister Youssef Abu Safiyeh told a seminar in the Egyptian city of Alexandria late last week that Israel had ruined hundreds of hectares of farmland since Palestinians began an uprising last year.
He also said Israel was using the occupied territories to bury industrial waste.
"We have found 249 sites which Israel uses to bury its industrial waste in Palestinian territory. Israeli forces have swamped Palestinian fields with sewage, ruined 1,745 hectares of productive agricultural land, and pulled up 300,000 olive trees, palms and vines," Abu Safiyeh said.
"(Sharon) has ruined the Palestinian environment," he added.
"Israeli forces have occupied 174 Palestinian schools and turned them into Israeli military posts...and attacked the Palestinian environment ministry building in Ramallah three times since the uprising began," he said.
He also mentioned loss of thousands of poultry and livestock, water wells, irrigation systems, and demolition of 126 homes and partial destruction of 4,900 homes, as well as three mosques and three churches since the Palestinian uprising began in September last year.
At least 620 Palestinians and 174 Israelis have been killed in the revolt and a recent ceasefire agreement has been left in tatters by continued clashes.
The United Nations said last month that Israeli army closures of Palestinian areas had had a "disastrous effect" on the economy and half the Palestinian population would live in poverty by the end of 2001.
Israel says it imposed the closures on Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to stop militants entering Israel. Palestinians call the closures a collective punishment which keeps more than 100,000 people from work.