Gaza: Director of the Gaza Center for Human Rights Mohammed Khairi affirmed that remnants of Israeli military aggression in the Gaza Strip pose a daily threat to civilian lives and obstruct humanitarian response efforts, impeding rescue operations, debris removal, and attempts to restore normalcy.
According to Qatar News Agency, Khairi stated that preliminary estimates indicate the presence of approximately 20,000 unexploded ordnances, including bombs, missiles, and shells, dropped by Israeli forces during a military campaign that lasted over two years. These remnants are scattered across an estimated 65 to 70 million tons of rubble resulting from the destruction of thousands of homes, facilities, and vital infrastructure, forming deadly time bombs.
Khairi warned that the massive volume of debris, coupled with unexploded remnants, exacerbates the situation and places Gaza at the center of what may be the largest humanitarian catastrophe in modern history. He underlined that these remnants pose grave risks to displaced persons returning to their homes and obstruct efforts to revive life in affected areas.
He noted that the Gaza Center for Human Rights has documented multiple explosions caused by unexploded ordnances in recent months, including one in the Al Zaytoun neighborhood east of Gaza City, which resulted in civilian casualties during an attempt to clear rubble near a residence. Khairi emphasized that such incidents are stark reminders of the ongoing danger present in every street and neighborhood across the Strip.
He described the presence of unexploded war remnants as a violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, which obligate occupying forces to take measures to protect civilians, ensure the removal of war remnants from populated areas, and disclose the locations of unexploded munitions. Khairi called for the urgent formation of specialized international committees under UN supervision to conduct a comprehensive survey of all areas in Gaza to identify unexploded ordnance sites.
He urged the deployment of international engineering teams equipped with the necessary tools and expertise to safely remove these remnants and secure inhabited zones, while compelling Israeli authorities to immediately release maps and coordinates of munitions dropped or planted during the conflict.
According to a report by a Palestinian research center, estimates suggest that between 5 to 10 percent of Israeli war remnants remain active beneath the rubble, making Gaza one of the most contaminated regions globally in terms of explosives relative to its size and population. A report by the Palestinian Center for Political Studies, cited by QNA, warns that unexploded ordnance in Gaza poses a complex crisis, threatening civilians and hindering reconstruction.
The report urged the launch of a national plan to clear Gaza of unexploded ordnance, backed by international technical and financial support, to safeguard civilians and enable safe reconstruction. The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect on the tenth of this month, following the Israeli military withdrawal from populated areas and the return of displaced residents to northern Gaza.