Gaza faces decades-long threat from unexploded Israeli ordnance, expert warns

Humanity & Inclusion’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialist Nick Orr has described Gaza as an “open minefield”, warning it could take at least two to three decades to clear the enclave of unexploded Israeli munitions.

A UN database has recorded more than 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries linked to explosives left behind during the ongoing two-year war, though aid groups insist the real figure is significantly higher.

“If you're looking to completely remove the rubble, that's never going to happen. It's underground. We'll still be finding it for generations to come,” Orr said.

He added that removing unexploded devices from the surface could be possible “within a generation, I think 20 to 30 years”.

Even then, he cautioned, “it would be a solution to a very small part of a very big problem.”