Julius van der Walt, a United Nations (UN) expert and head of the Mine Action Programme (UNMAS) in the Palestinian Territories, highlighted that more than two years of intense Israeli attacks have resulted in explosive contamination that is affecting humanitarian aid and making reconstruction efforts dangerous, impacting not only the residents but also the community.

The official explained that UN teams face danger almost daily, while displaced families are at great risk. He lamented that children are the most vulnerable group, due to their curiosity and tendency to touch unexploded ordnance without realizing the danger.

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Van der Walt stated that Gaza’s small size and high population density make avoiding explosive remnants nearly impossible, which could lead to major disasters. The situation is more complex compared to other conflict zones such as Syria and Lebanon.

Earlier this year, UNMAS estimated that 5% to 10% of the bombs launched by Israel against the territory failed to detonate. The head of the Government Media Office in Gaza, Ismail al-Thawabta, reported that some 20,000 missiles, bombs, and large-caliber munitions are scattered throughout the coastal enclave following the Israeli aggression, which turned the area into “an unmarked minefield.”

Meanwhile, in previous days, Hamas called for urgent international support to remove the unexploded Israeli devices in the Gaza Strip, describing them as “time bombs that could explode at any moment.”

This urgency stems from an alert issued by the Gaza Police Directorate regarding a child who suffered minor injuries from the explosion of a “remnant of the occupation” in the northern coastal area. The threat posed by these explosive remnants is immediate and serious, especially for children.

The UN emphasized that at least 92 people were killed or injured by these devices between October 2023 and January 2025. UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires stated that since the ceasefire came into effect in October, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents, an average of almost two children per day, demonstrating that the danger persists despite the commitment to halt the violence. It is estimated that it could take up to 14 years before Gaza is completely free of unexploded ordnance.

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