Unexploded missiles pose threat to Palestinians in central Gaza Strip

Displaced Palestinians in Gaza are worried about their safety with unexploded missiles spread around busy streets and camps.

Residents in the central town of Deir al-Balah are among those complaining about a worrying lack of response from agencies tasked with removing the ordnances.

As the so-called safe zones are diminishing around the Gaza Strip, many people are forced to live next to the missiles.

Next to the Rawafed Shelter Centre in Deir al-Balah, where dozens of displaced families from Gaza City live, lies an unexploded Israeli ordnance dropped in January.

“We’ve contacted everyone to remove the missile because this area is densely populated, and there are many children here,” said Ahmed Abu Jarad.

A previous report from the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) stated that approximately 7,500 tons of unexploded ordnance are scattered across the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, adding it will take around 14 years to remove them.

UNMAS conducts awareness campaigns about the dangers of the explosives through social media and sends text messages to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.