Although air fighting may have stopped in Gaza, Palestinians remain at risk of returning to parts of the war-torn territory due to unexploded bombs on the ground.
They merge with the piles of rubble and destruction.
Efforts are underway in Gaza to locate and remove these bombs, starting in the southern Gaza town of Rafah – where some of the heaviest fighting in the 15-month war between Israel and Hamas took place. But mine advisory groups say a broader response is crucial to tackle the large amount of unexploded ordnance (UXO) that remains.
For Gazans, it is an added fear of death, despite a ceasefire that has halted air and ground offensives.
“We’re afraid for the little ones, for our families,” Raed Al-Akka, a 27-year-old father of three from Rafah, told CBC News
“I’m afraid to leave my house and encounter a rocket exploding on me, my wife, my children, on the street at my neighbors… somewhere.”
While the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears to be in effect in Gaza, the threat to Palestinians remains as unexploded bombs appear to be widespread in areas of the war-torn enclave. Mohammed Muqdad, head of the explosives department in Rafah, said teams worked daily to remove as much as possible with minimal equipment.
With access to Gaza still restricted, particularly during the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, it is difficult to estimate the likely extent of explosive contamination during this phase, said Greg Crowther, program director of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). .
“It is clear that there will be a significant threat to life and a long-term obstacle to recovery efforts,” Crowther said in an email to CBC News on Friday.
A “dangerous environment”
Her current focus is on on-site risk education.
MAG, which helped clear Gaza of landmines after conflicts in 2008 and 2009, worked with the Save Youth Future Society and deployed 20 risk education teams across Gaza to teach communities how to deal with explosive hazards recognize, avoid and report possible dangers. Since launching in September 2024, they have hosted sessions for more than 160,000 people.
Crowther said the use of explosive weapons would have “particularly devastating effects” because Gaza is densely populated and highly urbanized.
“Beyond what is visible, you also have to take into account objects that have not yet exploded but remain hidden and endanger people. “This creates a dangerous environment, especially when people return to their homes and dig through debris,” he said.
The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has previously warned of explosive ordnance becoming “increasingly widespread” in the tiny coastal enclave, which has been heavily bombed by Israel.
It said the explosive ordnance disposal teams encountered aerial bombs, mortars, rockets, projectiles of all calibers, grenades and improvised explosive devices.
Deeply buried bombs are widespread in Gaza
In Gaza in particular, deeply buried bombs are found under or in infrastructure and under rubble.
“As families return to their homes, we are rapidly increasing our capacity to reduce the risk of explosive ordnance to civilians and humanitarian workers alike,” UNMAS said in a post on Monday.
As more Palestinians return to various parts of the Gaza Strip following the ceasefire that began on Sunday, a U.N. damage assessment released this month found that clearing over 50 million tons of debris left after the Israeli bombardment would take 21 years last and could cost up to $1.2 billion US.
Mohammed Muqdad, head of Rafah’s explosives department, said teams began locating and removing the weapons in the first phase of the ceasefire.
“Rafah is particularly affected, most of the area has been destroyed,” Muqdad told CBC News on Wednesday.
“We are dealing with dozens of remaining unexploded bombs that we are transporting to safe areas to eventually get rid of.”
The children are taught to recognize the weapons
So far, teams have made more than 120 unexploded ordnance removal calls each day since Sunday.
“The team continues to work to remove additional ordnance from residential areas,” he said. “We are doing as much as we can to lift and remove them.”
Muqdad said the teams removed bombs used on aircraft, such as MK, GBU 39, cannon and tank bombs, but needed special technical equipment to remove the much larger explosives.
Authorities have urged residents to stay away from certain dangerous areas where large numbers of these devices are believed to be located.
Some ordnance, such as small explosives emitted from cluster munitions, may not appear to be a common threat to children at first glance, which can pose a danger.
Crowther said children also attend risk education sessions to learn about the types of weapons used in war.
“It is especially important to share this information with them because their natural curiosity can put them at greater risk of injury if they encounter explosive weapons and simply assume they are toys,” he said.
Al-Akka called on experts to remove the explosives.
“So that we can take our freedom and go to our homes, clear the debris and sit in our homes,” Al-Akka said.
“We have seen enough martyrs and bloodshed in war.”
Limited coordination and capacity in Gaza
Crowther said that in addition to technical equipment, explosive threat assessment and investigative activities needed to be expanded to enable a more comprehensive humanitarian response.
“There is currently limited coordination and capacity to carry out these activities, both in terms of the technical equipment required and the number of qualified personnel currently in Gaza,” Crowther said.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the 15-month war. Due to the chaos of war, determining the exact number of victims was a challenge and is subject to close scrutiny.
The coastal enclave was largely destroyed by the Israeli military following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. According to Israeli information, 1,200 people were killed in this attack and around 250 were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip. Some 94 Israelis and foreigners remain detained in Gaza. It is unclear how many are still alive.
Palestinian Civil Defense said it was searching for an estimated 10,000 bodies believed to lie under the rubble.
A peer-reviewed study published in The lancet on January 9 suggest that the official death toll in Gaza may be significantly underestimated. As of June 30, 2024, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported 37,877 deaths; The study estimated the number was probably around 64,200 at the time.
