Gaza unexploded ordnance has created dangerous levels of contamination across the Strip. Ismail al-Thawabta, director general of the Government Media Office in Gaza, warned that the munitions litter destroyed neighbourhoods, directly threatening civilian lives and exposing the population to constant danger.

Al-Thawabta said that preliminary official assessments indicate that there are approximately 20,000 shells, rockets and heavy ammunition scattered inside destroyed buildings, on top of rubble and in the soil. He explained that these huge quantities have turned the destroyed areas into something resembling ‘undemarcated minefields’, where movement is fraught with danger.

He added that current estimates indicate tens of thousands of remnants of shells, rockets, aerial bombs and cluster bombs, as well as artillery ammunition, guidance components and large explosive objects. This is complicating the efforts of the teams responsible for dealing with them and increasing the likelihood of injuries and explosions at any moment.

Gaza unexploded bombs

Al-Thawabta explained that unexploded ordnance poses immediate and long-term dangers, most notably the possibility of sudden explosion when moved or touched, the spread of deadly shrapnel, damage to property, and disruption of humanitarian and field work.

This debris also prevents medical and relief teams from reaching a number of areas and prevents many residents from safely returning to their homes or carrying out their daily work and activities.

He noted that children, displaced persons and workers are most vulnerable to these dangers, especially in areas where there is active movement in search of basic necessities.

He said that the continued presence of these munitions exacerbates human suffering and causes economic and social paralysis that hinders reconstruction and affects all health, educational and humanitarian services.

Al-Thawabta explained that the volume and density of munitions scattered inside destroyed buildings and mixed with debris, in addition to the presence of buried or hidden munitions that are difficult to detect, pose significant challenges to explosive ordnance disposal teams.

These teams already suffer from a lack of resources and specialised technical capabilities.

He called for urgent support to enable these teams to carry out detection and dismantling operations in accordance with the required safety standards.

Without immediate international action, the Gaza unexploded ordnance will continue to endanger every step civilians take.

Featured image by Emad El Byed on Unsplash

By Alaa Shamali

This post was originally published on Canary.