The United Nations has estimated that the debris and rubble that need to be cleared in the Gaza Strip amount to nearly 37 million tons, amidst ongoing intensive Israeli airstrikes and building destruction since October 7, 2023.
Speaking at a regular press briefing in Geneva, the official in charge of the United Nations Mine Action Service, Pehr Lodhammar, stated, “We do know that we estimated 37 million tons of debris, which is approximately 300 kg per square meter.”
Lodhammar indicated that “clearing it will take 14 years” assuming the use of about a hundred trucks, and affirmed that unexploded ordnance has mixed with the debris, significantly complicating the task.
He considered that “at least 10%” of the ordnance launched in the conflict does not detonate, thus posing a constant threat to civilians and to the teams responsible for searching the rubble to retrieve the bodies of victims and for debris removal.
He spoke of a recent meeting held in Amman with the UN Development Programme and non-governmental organizations, aimed at finding the best ways to deal with this rubble mixed with explosives, as part of “preparation for what might happen and intervention in Gaza.”
The official’s statement is based on his experience in this field, as he had previously undertaken the same task in Iraq “but on a narrower scale,” clarifying that “65% of the destroyed buildings are residential” in the Gaza Strip.
In a related context, the executive director of the U.S. branch of Amnesty International, Paul O’Brien, stated that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza using American munitions.
O’Brien pointed out that research by Amnesty International confirms that the Israeli army committed war crimes against Palestinians.
The executive director of Amnesty International’s U.S. branch added: “For this reason, we call on the United States to stop sending weapons that are used to commit war crimes.”
The Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving tens of thousands dead and wounded, mostly children and women.
