Last week's observance of the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict highlighted the often-overlooked toll war exacts on nature. The 2023-2024 conflict in the Middle East exemplifies this destruction, with severe and widespread environmental impacts across the region. Hezbollah rocket attacks ignited wildfires that consumed over 2,500 acres in northern Israel, devastating habitats, worsening air pollution, and straining environmental management efforts. In Lebanon, military operations have destroyed 11,000 acres of forest and 2,000 acres of farmland. In Gaza, nearly 39 million tons of debris have polluted the environment, damaged wastewater treatment systems, tainted water supplies, and deepened the food security crisis.