Gaza Faces Humanitarian Crisis Amid Unexploded Ordnance Threats

The Gaza Strip is facing a severe humanitarian crisis as tens of thousands of unexploded bombs, remnants from over 40,000 Israeli airstrikes, continue to endanger civilians and hinder reconstruction efforts. Experts estimate that up to one in ten bombs failed to detonate, leaving Gaza among the most contaminated regions in the world, with unexploded ordnance buried beneath extensive rubble. The threat is compounded by injuries and fatalities, as at least 23 people have been killed and 162 injured by these remnants since October 2023, though aid workers believe the actual figures are much higher. Cleanup operations are hampered by Israeli restrictions on importing demining equipment, prolonging the risk and making the territory nearly uninhabitable. International law obligates Israel, as an occupying power, to facilitate removal of these dangers, yet bureaucratic and humanitarian barriers persist. Experts estimate it could take up to a decade and $500 million to clear Gaza of these explosive hazards, leaving its besieged population in ongoing peril.