Why it matters:
The sheer scale of unexploded ordnance across Gaza threatens generations to come, complicating reconstruction and endangering civilians returning to homes and schools after months of bombardment.
The big picture:
Since Israel’s military aggression began nearly two years ago, Gaza has become one of the world’s most densely contaminated territories. According to a U.N. database, more than 53 people have been recently killed and hundreds injured by explosive remnants of war—figures that aid agencies warn are likely “a serious undercount.”
Between the lines:
The delay in granting operational permits and equipment imports has left aid teams unable to respond to urgent civilian safety risks, prolonging the danger for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians now returning to heavily damaged neighborhoods.
Experts warn that beyond the humanitarian toll, Gaza’s contamination poses a major obstacle to reconstruction and recovery efforts. Without access for clearance teams, rebuilding essential infrastructure — from schools to power stations — remains nearly impossible.
What he is saying:
Nick Orr, an explosive ordnance disposal expert with the HI, said full subterranean clearance is effectively a multi-generation task, though surface-level clearance could be achieved “within a generation, I think 20 to 30 years".
"It’s going to be a very small chipping away at a very big problem," Orr said.
Orr emphasized the need for new disposal methods in Gaza: "Humanity & Inclusion seeks approval to use burn-out methods instead of detonations to minimize the risk of munitions being repurposed".
Go deeper:
UN: 7,500 tons of unexploded ammunition left across Gaza Strip
Zohre Khazaee - A.Akbari
