Data provided by the Civil Administration has revealed that the cross-border environmental crisis is escalating dramatically, nearly tripling complaints from Israeli residents.
The surge in “pirate trash fires” has ignited a sharp dispute between government ministries over who is responsible for the mounting health hazard, prompting calls for an emergency intervention by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the NGO Citizens for Clean Air, the number of complaints regarding smoke and foul smells nearly tripled between August and October 2025, reaching 1,800 reports last month alone.
Yaniv Bleicher, the organization’s chair, said that while the olive-harvesting season typically sees an increase in agricultural burning, the current surge is far worse than usual, comprising a mix of branches and uncollected household waste from Palestinian villages.
The resulting noxious fumes, described by residents as smelling of “plastic, tires, and electronic material,” have been carried deeper into central Israel, affecting cities like Yehud, Kiryat Ono, and Petah Tikva, and even reaching Tel Aviv on stormy nights.
Residents are reporting severe health impacts, including headaches, coughing, and itchy eyes. One resident, Shir Bushinsky of Kiryat Ono, whose toddler was diagnosed with asthma, expressed despair on Saturday.
“It is sad that we should have to live this way. Where’s the state?”
Enforcement action targets Rosh Ha'ayin pollution source
Spearheaded by the Civil Administration’s Enforcement Unit and the IDF’s Ephraim Brigade, the operation to clear the illegitimate waste sites specifically focused on Deir Ballut and its surrounding area.
This activity was part of the Civil Administration’s ongoing commitment to environmental enforcement, which includes monitoring, demolitions, and the seizure of trucks caught dumping refuse illegally, it said.
In addition to the environmental measures, the steps taken included demolishing residential buildings and private homes constructed without appropriate permits in the nearby village of Fandaq, as well as other illegal construction in the Deir Ballut area.
The Civil Administration said that these actions were necessary to enforce the rule of law in Area C and protect the safety and security of all local residents.
Regarding the poor air quality in Israel and the West Bank, driven by these waste fires, data show that it has severe consequences for public health.
According to Bleicher, waste fires account for 75% of air emissions of carcinogenic substances in Israel, but this figure does not include data from the West Bank.
This region accounts for approximately 27% of particulate matter emissions – an invisible pollutant composed of microscopic particles (soot, dust, carbon, and minerals) that penetrate deep into the respiratory system, causing severe illness.
Pollution complaints spike: A national health hazard
Data from the Environmental Protection and Health Ministries for 2023 estimated that exposure to this pollutant results in approximately 4,700 premature deaths in Israel each year.
On October 28, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman sent a letter to the Defense Ministry’s settlement directorate, which oversees civilian affairs in the West Bank, accusing it of “foot-dragging” and demanding that it approve a comprehensive cleanup plan.
The Civil Administration responded that it is investing “significant resources and budgets,” and its Environmental Quality Unit had extinguished over 80 fires in the previous month.
It said plans to increase enforcement and develop new waste infrastructure, including a new landfill near Ramallah, which is years away from operation, have been approved.
Inter-ministerial battle over responsibility
NGO Citizens for Clean Air has formally written to Netanyahu, urging him to convene an emergency meeting with Silman and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has authority over civilian affairs in the West Bank, to address the “ongoing shifting of responsibility.”
The State Comptroller previously estimated that this cross-border pollution costs the economy approximately NIS 1.3 billion annually. Despite the creation of an inter-ministerial team in June 2023, the comprehensive plan to tackle the issue has been delayed for months, with ministries reportedly blaming each other for the hold-up.