Gaza’s hidden danger: 70,000 tons of unexploded bombs threaten returning residents

• Handicap International warns unexploded ordnance in Gaza poses “enormous” risks.
• Estimated 70,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza since war began.
• Anne-Claire Yaeesh highlights dangers in densely populated areas.
• Unexploded bombs, grenades, and bullets are widespread in Gaza.

Unexploded ordnance in Gaza presents “enormous” dangers for displaced residents returning home during the current US-led ceasefire, the NGO Handicap International warned Tuesday, urging the delivery of demining equipment.

“The risks are enormous, an estimated 70,000 tons of explosives have been dropped on Gaza” since the war began, said Anne-Claire Yaeesh, Handicap International’s director for the Palestinian territories. The organization specializes in mine clearance and aid for victims of anti-personnel mines.

Unexploded munitions, ranging from bombs and grenades to simple bullets, have become increasingly visible across Gaza during the two-year genocide.

“The layers of rubble and levels of accumulation are extremely high,” Yaeesh said, noting that the densely populated urban environment makes clearance efforts “extremely complex.”

In January, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) estimated that 5 to 10 percent of munitions fired on Gaza had not detonated. Since then, hostilities continued, including a major 'Israeli' operation in mid-September in Gaza City. The third ceasefire since the conflict began came into effect on Friday.

UNMAS told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that restrictions over the past two years had prevented large-scale survey operations, leaving the agency without “a comprehensive picture of the (explosive ordnance) threat in the Strip.”

Nicholas Orr, a former UK military deminer working for Handicap International, said in March that 'Israeli' aerial surveillance had prevented him from conducting bomb disposal work, fearing he could be mistaken for a militant repurposing unexploded ordnance.

Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, UNMAS has received a surge in requests for technical expertise for humanitarian missions, including access to previously unreachable areas.

“In the coming days, a large part of the efforts will focus on ensuring the safety of debris management operations,” the agency said, emphasizing the importance of clearing rubble along roads used by returning displaced residents.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Monday that humanitarian teams would assess key roads for explosive hazards. UNMAS added that limited armored vehicles restrict the number of assessments it can conduct daily.

The agency is still awaiting Israeli approval to bring in equipment needed for the large-scale destruction of unexploded ordnance. Currently, UNMAS has three armored vehicles “at the border waiting to enter Gaza, which will allow safer and larger-scale operations.”