Israel’s military campaign against the blockaded enclave has reduced much of the narrow coastal territory of 2.3 million people to a wasteland with most civilians homeless, hungry and at risk of disease.
Pehr Lodhammar, a senior official with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), said at a briefing in Geneva on Friday that the war had left approximately 37 million tons of debris in a widely urbanized and densely populated territory.
He added that although it was impossible to determine the exact number of unexploded ordnance found in Gaza, it was estimated that under certain conditions it could take 14 years to clear the rubble, including debris from destroyed buildings.
“We know that there is normally a failure rate of at least 10% of ground service munitions that are fired and do not work,” he continued, stating: “We are talking about 14 years of work with 100 trucks.”
At least 34,300 Palestinians have been killed and 77,000 wounded in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza since October 1. 7, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.