As world powers prepare to rebuild Gaza, IDF said to dump trash across the border

The Israel Defense Forces have been disposing of large amounts of Israeli waste and construction debris inside the Gaza Strip, a report said Sunday.

The material — consisting mostly of rubble, concrete, and garbage from temporary military bases established during the war — is being transported from Israel to areas several hundred meters beyond the border fence, according to information and footage published by Haaretz.

Videos obtained by the outlet show Israeli trucks crossing through the Kissufim border crossing and unloading debris roughly 200 to 300 meters (650 to 980 feet) inside Gaza before returning empty. Excavators on the Israeli side then refill the trucks, which repeat the process.

Officers familiar with the operation told the newspaper that local commanders had authorized the dumping, even allowing private Israeli contractors to enter Gaza and dispose of the material at their discretion.

Soldiers stationed along the border expressed frustration at the practice, saying it leaves piles of rubble in full view of Israeli communities nearby.

“What’s the logic in dumping thousands of tons of waste just a few hundred meters from our homes?” asked one soldier who lives in a nearby kibbutz, according to the report. Another officer called the decision “disgraceful,” warning that the debris — which includes iron, pipes, and concrete — could be repurposed by Hamas to rebuild military infrastructure or manufacture rockets, as the Palestinian terror group has done in the past.

משאיות ישראליות משליכות פסולת בתוך רצועת עזה pic.twitter.com/ZZSqOCKUdT

— הארץ חדשות (@haaretznewsvid) October 25, 2025

According to another soldier cited by Haaretz, when he asked superiors why the debris was being dumped inside Gaza instead of at a proper disposal facility, they responded that international actors set to join postwar rebuilding efforts would take responsibility for clearing it.

When asked for comment, the military said it was unaware of the activity described in the report.

The apparent disposal of waste inside Gaza comes as the international community debates how to begin the enclave’s reconstruction following two years of war that have destroyed much of the Strip.

During the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) annual meetings earlier this month, senior finance officials said they were preparing to assist in rebuilding Gaza, with preliminary estimates putting the cost at around $70 billion.

World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the Development Committee — a high-level group advising the IMF and World Bank — discussed the reconstruction effort and the potential for cooperation with regional partners.

“We want to help,” she said, emphasizing that restoring normal life in the Strip “will take a long time.”

Haoliang Xu, acting administrator of the UN Development Program, told Reuters that the conditions for reconstruction were not yet in place and noted that over 61 million tons of rubble would need to be cleared before any rebuilding could begin. Plans are underway for an international reconstruction conference, though no date has been set.

Meanwhile, Turkey and Egypt have both stepped up recovery operations in Gaza. Earlier this month, Turkey deployed 81 disaster relief experts from its AFAD emergency agency, including a team tasked with helping locate the remains of hostages whose bodies are still believed to be in the enclave. On Monday, Egypt brought in 12 heavy vehicles to assist with clearing roads and recovering bodies, with the equipment entering the enclave under Israeli approval, according to Saudi outlet Al Hadath.

????️ Reconstruction efforts are underway in Gaza, where debris is being cleared and infrastructure is being rebuilt in areas devastated by Israeli genocide

➡️ Egyptian Committee operating in Gaza delivers 12 heavy machines to the region through the Karem Abu Salem Border Crossing pic.twitter.com/HbDHlh5NFA

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) October 27, 2025

Those efforts are part of a wider humanitarian mission following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas earlier this month, which was brokered with international US-led mediation. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas was to disarm and release the remaining hostages in its custody — both the living and the deceased — while Israel agreed to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners and detainees, halt airstrikes, and ease humanitarian restrictions.

Of the 28 deceased hostages whose bodies were still held by Hamas when the truce took effect, 13 families are still waiting for closure, as the remains of their loved ones have not yet been returned.

On October 13, the 20 living hostages included in the same agreement were released, while the bodies of the 28 who were killed in the 2023 onslaught or died in captivity were expected to follow. So far, Hamas has returned only 15 of them.