UN Warns Of Serious Dangers Of Unexploded Weapons In Gaza

JAKARTA - The United Nations (UNMAS) Mine Action Agency warned of the serious threat posed by the unexploded arsenal in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, as displaced communities and aid workers returned to the devastated areas of Israel's bombings over the past two years.

The head of UNMAS in the Palestinian Population Area, Luke David Irving, highlighted the continuing dangers posed by the remains of explosives in the Palestinian enclave.

"As the community and humanitarian personnel are now moving through affected areas, the risk of an explosion is very high," Irving said.

"We know from decades of experience that when a lot of conflict ends, explosives continue to injure and kill. Gaza is no exception," he said.

He further said his team had documented many cases of injuries when people were exposed to weapons that had not exploded, he added, including five children who were injured last week, two of whom were seriously injured.

"This is one of hundreds of stories of people, often children, who died and suffered life-changing injuries caused by these dangerous objects," he explained.

Since October 2023, UNMAS has recorded 328 incidents in Gaza where people were injured or killed by unexploded weapons. However, the actual number is likely to be much higher.

"We expect this figure to be much lower than reported," Irving said.

"The more people who have been injured or killed as a result of the weapons scattered in Gaza over the past two years," he added.

So far, the UNMAS team has identified 560 explosive weapons objects in the accessible Gaza region, but warned the full level of contamination would remain unknown until a more comprehensive survey could be conducted.

"We look forward to finding more objects in the coming weeks as our access to more areas under the ceasefire," Irving added.

The threats posed by unexploded bombs are expected to continue for months and years, posing a risk to residents as they return to their environment to save their belongings, and children playing in the affected zone.

Humanitarian officers also face significant danger as they enter locations that were previously inaccessible. Irving stressed the importance of eliminating explosives.

"Humanitarian mine action is urgently needed to pave the way for aid and recovery delivery and reconstruction," he said.

UNMAS has reached about 460,000 people in Gaza in its efforts to help people stay safe, through direct risk education campaigns in shelters, health centers, and in areas affected by the conflict.

His staff has distributed more than 400,000 leaflets, stickers, and other awareness material since March 2025. However, there is still much to be done.

"We need to reach the entire population of Gaza with these messages to reduce the risk," Irving said.

UNMAS also conducts technical assessments of important infrastructure, including roads, health centers, water facilities, bakeries, and agricultural land, to help ensure the safety of humanitarian operations. This assessment has also helped efforts to recover early, including cleaning up about 50 to 60 million tons of debris potentially containing explosives.

Since the ceasefire began on October 10, UNMAS has received nearly 100 requests for explosives cleaning support, an average of about 10 requests per day. As a result, efforts are underway to bring more technical personnel to Gaza to scale up operations.

However, the long-term recovery will depend on obtaining approval for the deployment of critical disposal equipment at large, Irving said.

"We request that this equipment be imported for a wider sector, and this will allow Gaza's long-term recovery," he said.