Another 'enormous' threat awaits returning Gaza residents

UNEXPLODED ordnance in Gaza poses “enormous” risks for displaced people returning home during a US-led ceasefire, the NGO Handicap International warned, calling for the entry of equipment needed for demining.

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“The risks are enormous — an estimated 70 000 tons of explosives have been dropped on Gaza” since the start of the war, said Anne-Claire Yaeesh, the organisation's director for the Palestinian territories.

Handicap International specialises in mine clearance and assistance to victims of antipersonnel mines.

Unexploded ordnance, ranging from undetonated bombs or grenades to simple bullets, has become a common sight in the Gaza Strip during the two years of the war, sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

“The layers of rubble and levels of accumulation are extremely high,” Yaeesh said.

She warned that the risks are aggravated by the “extremely complex” nature of the environment, due to the limited space in densely populated urban areas.

In January, the UN's Mine Action Service (UNMAS) estimated that “five to 10 percent” of the munitions fired on Gaza had not exploded.

Since then, fighting has continued, with the Israeli army notably launching a large-scale operation in mid-September in Gaza City.

A ceasefire, the third since the start of the war, came into effect on Friday, October 10, in the Gaza Strip.