Silent danger of unexploded ordnance in Gaza - السلام عليكم
السلام عليكم - The loud bombing may have quieted in parts of Gaza, but a hidden, deadly danger remains: unexploded bombs, missiles and landmines scattered under the rubble. They don’t make noise like jets or shells, yet they can kill just the same.
Officials say about 20,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance have been found across Gaza since the offensive began two years ago, Ismail Al Thawabta of Gaza’s Government Media Office said. These range from large missiles to buried mines and pose a direct threat to families and anyone returning to damaged areas.
Civil defence and explosives teams have lost colleagues trying to make sites safe. Special teams are marking dangerous spots and trying to clear explosives, but progress is painfully slow. The teams lack proper equipment because needed engineering tools have been blocked from entering the strip, Mr Al Thawabta said.
Children and emergency workers who spend time in and around rubble are especially at risk. A single touch, a shift in debris, or a rise in temperature could set off an explosion. Gaza’s civil defence warns the threat is everywhere - in homes, schools and playgrounds - and that many people who find suspicious objects don’t know how to respond.
“We’ve dealt with over 100 incidents in recent weeks,” civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said, “but we can’t answer all calls because we don’t have enough equipment or trained staff. Many engineers were killed and the heavy machines needed to remove missiles were destroyed.”
He urged everyone: do not touch or move anything suspicious. Mark the place and call civil defence. One small mistake can be fatal.
Many families who returned after the recent ceasefire are still displaced because of these threats. Yahya Al Hajjar, a father of three from Al Saftawi, found a large unexploded missile in his garden days after the truce and could not go back to his home. He called civil defence, but they were overwhelmed. “Going back would be like suicide,” he said; his family remains displaced until the device is dismantled.
Although attacks have largely stopped while mediators work on a lasting truce, people in Gaza won’t feel safe until all unexploded munitions are cleared. As Mr Al Thawabta put it, every unexploded missile is a time bomb - a continuation of the war by other means.
Please keep the affected families in your duas and support efforts to get qualified teams and proper equipment into Gaza so these hazards can be removed safely.
https://www.thenationalnews.co