Unexploded Ordnance in Gaza Poses Critical Threat to Returning Civilians, Warns UN Official

Gaza: Unexploded ordnance in Gaza poses a serious risk to civilians, with children most at risk, UN official says. Julius Van Der Walt, Chief of the Mine Action Programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, warned that war remnants and unexploded ordnance are obstructing the return of normal life in Gaza, with children being the most at risk. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, in a press statement today, Van Der Walt said that unexploded ordnance in Gaza poses a serious threat to civilians, especially as hundreds of thousands return to their homes and neighborhoods following the ceasefire. He noted that more than two years of intensive Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have left widespread contamination with explosive materials, negatively affecting the delivery of humanitarian aid, slowing the recovery of the sector, and making reconstruction work extremely dangerous, in addition to directly threatening civilian lives. Van Der Walt explained that UN teams face explosive hazards a lmost daily across different areas of the Gaza Strip, and families moving within Gaza are at risk from these materials. He emphasized that children are the most vulnerable, as is the case in most conflict zones worldwide, due to their curiosity and tendency to touch unexploded ordnance without understanding the danger. The UN official noted that there is no precise data on the full extent of explosive contamination in Gaza, although strong indicators point to its widespread presence across most areas. He added that the UN Mine Action Service has been operating in Gaza since October 2023. Since then, Van Der Walt said that more than 650 hazardous items have been identified in the areas the teams were able to access, with the vast majority being unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices. He also highlighted that Gaza's small geographic area and high population density make the situation more complex compared to other conflict zones such as Syria and Lebanon. Van Der Walt stressed that avoiding expl osive remnants is nearly impossible under these conditions, and even small remnants can cause major disasters. He warned that residents returning to their homes must exercise extreme caution and report any suspicious or movable objects immediately. Van Der Walt warned that these objects are highly sensitive and could detonate at any moment, potentially causing deaths or serious injuries, as well as releasing toxic substances.