“No place left”: Gaza father finds unexploded Israeli device under family tent - As-salamu alaykum
As-salamu alaykum -
A father in Khan Younis returned to his neighbourhood after the ceasefire only to find his family’s temporary shelter set up over an unexploded Israeli armoured device, a machine locals call an “explosive robot.” Many families coming back to southern Gaza are discovering flattened streets, twisted metal and dangerous remnants of war where homes once stood.
People have been moving back since the ceasefire on October 10, joining hundreds of thousands who earlier fled north from displacement camps. But with much of Gaza still under military presence and large parts destroyed, many have nowhere safe to go. Ayman Qadourah said he had to pitch his family’s tent directly over the hulking device because there’s simply no other space. He and others worry these unexploded machines, some reported to have carried powerful charges, are a constant threat - a spark or spilled fuel could trigger a huge blast.
Qadourah described how F-16 strikes and other bombardments carved craters between houses and hit the rear of his home. He covers the devices with sand to try to reduce the risk, and his children wear clothes salvaged from beneath the rubble, which have caused skin infections and abscesses.
UN satellite analysis and local reports show massive damage across Khan Younis and the wider Gaza Strip, with tens of thousands of buildings affected and hundreds of thousands of people left with no proper shelter. Agencies say the danger from unexploded ordnance is very high; teams have already found hundreds of devices but the true number is likely greater. Since last October reports say many people have been killed or injured by unexploded ordnance.
Humanitarian groups have increased distributions of food, tents, hygiene supplies and fuel since the ceasefire, but aid delivery remains severely restricted and the needs are still overwhelming. Qadourah and others in the south say they will not leave until a lasting solution is found for housing - for now, “there is nowhere to go.” May Allah protect the innocent and guide those working to bring relief.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news