“The territory of the enclave has become a minefield, and the removal of unexploded bombs and shells left in Gaza as a result of shelling and bombing by Israeli forces could take 20 to 30 years,” the Maan news agency quoted the NGO representative as saying.
Moreover, in his view, it is “simply impossible” to defuse all unexploded objects in Gaza, as many are located very deep underground.
“It will take a whole generation just to locate and defuse the explosive objects on the surface,” the NGO representative stated.
He also noted that Israeli authorities do not allow the necessary equipment for detecting and destroying unexploded shells to be brought into Gaza. According to him, NGOs have also been denied permission to deliver equipment designed to incinerate explosive devices so they do not detonate on site and cannot be reused.
Earlier, a Handicap International representative, an NGO involved in explosive device disposal and victim assistance, reported that Israeli forces have dropped approximately 70,000 tons of shells and bombs on Gaza since October 2023. An analysis by a specialized UN agency found that between 5% and 10% of the bombs and shells dropped on Gaza by Israeli forces did not explode.
According to the press service of the Palestinian enclave’s administration, there are currently at least 20,000 explosive devices under the rubble of destroyed buildings and in the streets of settlements. These include artillery shells, mines, bombs, and projectiles launched by the Israeli army on Gaza. The press service emphasized that all unexploded shells “pose a real threat to local residents returning to their homes and to workers and specialists engaged in debris clearance in the settlements of the enclave.”
On October 6, delegations from Israel and Hamas resumed indirect talks on resolving the conflict in the Gaza Strip, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, with Turkey also joining the consultations. On October 9, the sides signed an agreement to implement the first phase of the peace plan previously presented by US President Donald Trump. The following day, the ceasefire deal in Gaza came into force.
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