Sitting atop a volcano — unexploded munitions turn Gaza’s rubble into a death trap

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has warned of the growing danger posed by tens of thousands of tonnes of unexploded munitions left behind by the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip, stressing that it poses a direct threat to the lives of civilians and hinders rescue and rubble removal efforts.

In a statement received by the Canary on Friday, the centre explained that preliminary estimates indicate the presence of around 20 thousand unexploded bombs, rockets and missiles dropped by the occupation army during its ongoing aggression. It noted that these remnants are scattered among approximately 70 million tonnes of rubble resulting from the destruction of homes and infrastructure in the Strip.

Unexploded munitions making Gaza a minefield

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defence Authority, added that approximately 71 thousand tonnes of explosives remain buried in the rubble, making every recovery operation a deadly task. He pointed out that rescue workers face real dangers while performing their duties, as any wrong move could lead to a deadly explosion.

The PCHR noted that a number of fatal accidents have been recorded in recent months as a result of unexploded munitions, the latest of which was in the Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, where a buried shell exploded, killing three civilians, while another explosion in Nuseirat camp injured four workers clearing rubble.

The centre called for the formation of a specialised international committee under the supervision of the United Nations to conduct a comprehensive survey of unexploded munitions sites in Gaza. The committee would need to send international engineering teams equipped with the necessary equipment and expertise to remove them and secure populated areas. It also demanded that the occupation authorities disclose maps of the locations where bombs and ammunition were dropped during the war.

The statement stressed the need to immediately open the crossings to allow the entry of heavy machinery and equipment needed for debris removal and body recovery operations, emphasising that the international community’s continued silence in the face of this catastrophic situation constitutes indirect complicity in the suffering of the people of Gaza.

Featured image by the Canary