Key Points
- The UN Mine Action Service has documented numerous cases of civilians injured by explosions in Gaza
- Since October 2023, the agency has recorded 328 incidents in Gaza involving injuries or fatalities caused by explosive devices
NEW YORK: The United Nations Mine Action Service has issued a warning about the serious dangers posed by unexploded ordnance in Gaza, as displaced communities and aid workers start to return to areas devastated by two years of continuous Israeli bombardment.
Luke David Irving, head of UNMAS in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, emphasised the persistent risks posed by these explosive remnants of war.
“As communities and humanitarian personnel now move through affected areas, the explosive risk is incredibly high,” said Irving, speaking in occupied Jerusalem.
“We know from decades of experience that when many other conflicts end, explosive ordnance continues to maim and kill. Gaza is no exception.”
He added that his team has documented numerous cases of injuries caused by encounters with unexploded ordnance, including five children injured last week, two of them seriously.
“It is one of hundreds of stories of people, often children, killed and suffering life-changing injuries at the hands of these dangerous items.”
Since October 2023, UNMAS has documented 328 incidents in Gaza involving injuries or deaths caused by unexploded ordnance, though the true figure is likely significantly higher.
“We expect that this figure is significantly underreported,” Irving said. “More, and many more, people have been injured or killed by ordnance littering Gaza over the past two years.”
UNMAS teams have identified 560 explosive ordnance items in accessible areas of Gaza so far, but they caution that the full scale of contamination will remain unknown until more thorough surveys are carried out.
“We expect to find many more items in the coming weeks as we can access more areas under the ceasefire,” Irving added.
The threat posed by unexploded devices is expected to continue for months and years to come, as residents of the areas return to their neighborhoods.
Humanitarian workers also face considerable risks when entering previously inaccessible areas, and Irving emphasised the critical need to clear explosive devices.
“Humanitarian mine action is indispensable to pave the way for aid delivery and any recovery and reconstruction,” he said.
UNMAS has already reached approximately 460,000 people in Gaza through its efforts to help communities stay safe. This has been achieved via in-person risk education campaigns conducted in shelters, health centers, and conflict-affected areas. Since March 2025, its teams have distributed over 400,000 flyers, stickers, and other awareness materials. However, there is still a significant amount of work to be done.
“We need to reach the entire population of Gaza with these messages to mitigate the risk,” Irving said.
Since the ceasefire began on October 10, UNMAS has received nearly 100 requests for explosives-clearance support, about 10 a day on average, as a result of which efforts are being made to bring more technical personnel into Gaza to scale up operations.
