As families in Gaza return home after the ceasefire, they face a new danger: unexploded bombs and munitions hidden in the rubble.
Greg Crowther, MAG’s Director of Programmes, explains what MAG expects to see in Gaza once access is possible, what’s being done to help protect families now, and what it will take to make communities safe again.
What is the explosive threat in Gaza right now?
The main danger in Gaza comes from unexploded ordnance (UXO) – bombs, missiles, rockets, and artillery projectiles that did not explode as intended and now lie hidden under debris, inside buildings, and in open ground.
The UN estimates that around 200,000 tonnes of ammunition may have been used during the conflict. If even 10% failed to explode, that would leave tens of thousands of tonnes of UXO scattered across Gaza.
These items remain highly unstable and can explode if disturbed.
How widespread is the contamination?
It’s too early to know the full scale of contamination, as no formal survey has yet been possible. Early estimates suggest the challenge in Gaza will be even greater than in Mosul, Iraq, or Raqqa in northern Syria, where destruction from explosive weapons in populated areas is still evident today.
Gaza’s dense urban environment and its scale – roughly twice the size of Mosul – will make clearance operations extremely complex and challenging.
What kinds of explosive weapons are likely to be found?
MAG expects to encounter a wide range of explosive remnants, including large air-dropped bombs, weighing more than 500kg; missiles and rockets, including guided weapons; and artillery projectiles, mortars, and smaller munitions.
We believe many of these will be buried deep in rubble or embedded in damaged infrastructure, making detection extremely difficult.
Is any clearance happening now?
No humanitarian clearance is currently taking place in Gaza. For humanitarian mine action organisations like MAG, conditions remain too unsafe for operations.
What must happen before clearance can begin?
Humanitarian mine action can only start once key conditions are met:
Access: Permission for humanitarian organisations to enter Gaza and operate freely.
Security: A stable environment, free from active fighting.
Coordination: A legitimate framework to manage the recovery process.
Equipment and expertise: Specialised tools, vehicles, and trained technical staff.
Community engagement: Local cooperation and understanding of MAG’s humanitarian role.
Without these foundations, clearance would be unsafe and ineffective.
What will clearance involve once it starts?
The first phase will focus on survey and assessment – mapping where UXO is most likely to be located and prioritising the highest-risk areas. This will be followed by careful, technical clearance by trained specialists using safe disposal methods.
However, clearance in Gaza must form part of a coordinated, multi-sector recovery effort. With an estimated 61 million tonnes of rubble – much of it from buildings destroyed across Gaza – UXO removal will be one element of a much broader debris management challenge.
Within the rubble lie multiple risks: human remains that must be recovered to allow families to lay loved ones to rest with dignity, environmental hazards such as asbestos and other toxic materials, and complex housing, land, and property issues around ownership and consent.
For MAG and partners, clearance must therefore be integrated with rubble removal, environmental management, and reconstruction efforts, ensuring that work is prioritised, safe, and coordinated with communities themselves and other humanitarian actors.
What risks do returning families face?
Families returning to damaged areas face serious danger from unexploded bombs and munitions. Even small remnants of explosives can kill or maim.
Children are particularly vulnerable. Objects such as shells, bombs, or fragments may look like toys, household items, or scrap metal.
We have already heard of reports of children being killed after finding and opening what appeared to be a box of fuses.
The first weeks after a ceasefire can sometimes be the most dangerous. Many people unknowingly move through contaminated areas, increasing the likelihood of accidents.
Rubble can hide unstable munitions, and partially damaged explosives can detonate if handled, shifted, or struck.
What is MAG doing right now?
MAG is currently providing risk education through our Palestinian partner, Save Youth Future Society.
Teams of trained educators are delivering life-saving safety messages to displaced families moving back into high-risk areas, explaining how to identify the different types of explosive items that may be hidden beneath the rubble.
A child’s ability to identify an unexploded bomb could save their life.
This work – supported by the Canadian Government and UMCOR – helps families stay as safe as possible until clearance can begin.
How long will it take to make Gaza safe again?
It will take decades to clear Gaza.
After an escalation in hostilities in 2008, MAG and other mine action organisations spent two years clearing unexploded ordnance. Today’s destruction is far greater, likely requiring at least five years of intensive clearance just to make the highest-priority areas safe.
Even after that, some ordnance may remain buried and could pose a danger for generations, as it still does in too many other conflict-affected countries around the world.
How can the international community help?
Gaza’s recovery will depend on sustained international support – funding, coordination, and access for humanitarian experts.
MAG stands ready to deploy when conditions allow.
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