The international humanitarian organization Handicap International (HI) said Tuesday that Israel has dropped 45,000 bombs on the Gaza Strip since it started its war on October 7 up to mid-January, but at least 3,000 did not explode, posing a threat to life in the besieged enclave.
HI Deputy Director of International Operations, Jean-Pierre Delomier was quoted as saying 3,000 bombs dropped on Gaza did not explode, posing an additional threat to civilians when they return to areas from which they were displaced, at a time when humanitarian aid must be distributed.
Delomier, who visited the city of Rafah south of Gaza during the war, said his organization is waiting for a ceasefire in order to have a clear vision on the situation to start removing mines and bombs left by the war.
In January, the Washington Post quoted Charles Birch, an explosives clearance expert for the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) as saying that Gaza is filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of unexploded ordnance, ranging from makeshift
rockets to high-tech munitions, indicating “that the contamination will be unbelievable. It’s like something from World War II.”
Birch, who visited Gaza at the height of Israel’s bombing campaign, said these unexploded munitions may be the most widespread menace because they will outlast the war and pose risks to civilians for generations.
Even in times of relative peace in Gaza, bombs left over from previous rounds of fighting regularly killed and maimed people, and the problem is now exponentially worse, he said.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution Monday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, more than five months after the war, in which more than 32,000 Palestinians were killed and more than 75,000 injured.
The resolution, presented by non-permanent members of the council, calls for an immediate ceasefire and the urgent need to increase aid and the unhindered delivery of supplies.
Source: Jordan News Agency