The city of Modi’in, some 18 miles west of Jerusalem, has been suffering from increased air pollution due to repeated burning of waste by Palestinians, outlet Ynet reported on Monday.
Nonprofit association Clean Air Israel registered 2,763 complaints of odor and smoke hazards in October, out of which 1,034 complaints (37%) came from residents of Modi’in, the report said.
The smoke and foul odors have caused residents breathing difficulties, eye irritation, headaches, nausea and more, prompting some to consider leaving.
Meital Azura, 43, from Modi’in, told Ynet that “We left Giv’atayim [abutting Tel Aviv] to improve our quality of life—not because of the schools, but to live in a more natural area with clean air, close to the mountains and nature. After a month, we started smelling an unbearable odor of burning. It’s a smell that seeps through the windows and into the house. I had never experienced anything like it. Apparently, it’s been a known issue for years—but after Oct. 7, [2023,] it got worse.”
She added: “Over the past four months, at the same time every evening, we see black smoke rising from the balcony... We immediately close the windows, but the smell still gets in. If we’re in the car, the smell still penetrates. Sometimes it smells like fire, other times it’s a strong chemical odor that lingers until morning. We’re considering leaving the city, because it’s clear to me that we’re breathing in cancer.”
Ben Mizrahi, 40, also from Modi’in, said that “I live in Kramim, the eastern neighborhood of the city, next to Route 443. We have an amazing view from the balcony with stunning sunsets. But every evening at 7 p.m., we have to close the windows. I love sports, running, and walking. I’ve completely given up on exercising in the evenings. I’ve stopped going out with the kids or riding bikes. We’re basically trapped at home every day for the past two months.”
The resident added that at first he believed the problem could be resolved, but since the waste burnings started the situation “has gotten worse. Life is unbearable.”
Additional Israeli communities situated near Palestinian cities and villages are reportedly suffering from smoke hazards.
The town of Shoham, located a few miles east to Ben Gurion Airport, recorded the second most complaints with Clean Air Israel. Its residents have submitted 228 complaints, with the city of Harish, located west of northern Samaria, submitting 182 complaints.
Rosh Haayin, Kohav Ya’ir, Tzur Yigal and the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council are Israeli cities and towns that have also featured in the list of complaints—all adjacent to Palestinian territories under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.
Ynet reported that the mayor of Modi’in, Haim Bibas, had recently appealed to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to take immediate action against the waste fires in the Na’alin area.
He called on Katz to instruct the Israel Defense Forces to act decisively to extinguish the fires and enforce Israeli law so that residents can maintain their right to clean air.
