As many as 32,300 dunams of forest were damaged during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and with Hezbollah in Lebanon in the north following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Israel Forest Status Report for 2024 published by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF).
The comprehensive report covers a range of topics, including climate-change mitigation, war-related damages, particularly from fires started from rocket and missile fire launched by Hezbollah towards northern Israel, along with significant achievements in forest rehabilitation and nature conservation. It provides a summary of KKL-JNF’s Forestry Division activities across 1.5 million dunams of forest land nationwide.
One of the report’s most striking conclusions relates to the severe impact of the Iron Swords war. Fires resulting from attacks on Israel caused extensive damage to vegetation, habitats and soil, notably in areas such as the Naftali Mountain Ridge, Biriya Forest, Be’eri Forest and Yad Mordechai Forest.
Beyond the wartime fires, the report also details KKL-JNF’s year-round efforts to combat forest fires, including treating large areas to create buffer zones, thinning about 32,000 dunams and replanting around 4,465 dunams.
Alongside rehabilitation efforts, the organization reported significant advancements in data collection and research. To date, 47% of forestry lands have been mapped, and in the past year, 27 active academic studies were conducted, along with 13 new research projects, including a groundbreaking study examining the use of LiDAR technology for forest monitoring. The activities of Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) stations, which monitor climate change, plant health, and ecological function, were also expanded.
Broader preparations and improvements are being made for the coming years, in tandem with innovations and research. In the past year, KKL-JNF nurseries produced around 800,000 seedlings, with 40% designated for forest planting and 60% supplied to external organizations such as schools, the Israel Defense Forces and kibbutzim.
“The annual Forest Status Report reflects efforts to manage sustainable forests,” said Gilad Ostrovsky, the organization’s chief forester, “with an emphasis on conserving forests and open spaces while providing diverse ecosystem services to Israeli society. KKL-JNF reaffirms its commitment to addressing the challenges of climate change and strengthening forest resilience as part of its environmental and societal responsibility.”