HI assess the contamination by explosive remnants and unexploded ordnance in Gaza
This is one example of a HI team Explosive Hazard Assessment in Gaza. It took place in Deir el-Balah last December.
Der el-Balah area in Gaza contaminated by explosive remnants. | © HI
Residents rely on the contaminated area for farming, gathering firewood, and accessing a crucial water point. Eight people were injured by explosive ordnance in there. Explosive Ordnance Specialist for Palestinian Territory Nicholas Orr tells the mission.
Day 1: Establishing safety and understanding the community
In this area, local reports hinted at a mixture of improvised rockets, mortars, and projectile fragments, though the true extent of the contamination was unclear.
We arrived at the camp on December 15. Within minutes, a 155mm artillery projectile was discovered just five meters from the team. Though unfused, it had been recently moved, underscoring the high-risk behaviours prevalent in the community.
Several hundred mixed-diameter mortar bodies, mostly intact with their High Explosive fill, were scattered in one area.
A short distance away, a tactical missile motor had already been repurposed as a garden seat by displaced families. The site was also littered with improvised ordnance, scrap explosive remnants, and scarred by several recent craters caused by from the detonation of Air Dropped Weapons. Several buildings had been reduced to ruins by the warfare.
The presence of HI quickly drew a crowd. Managing the crowd became an essential task. The team marked a preliminary 400-meter-long and 2-meter-wide large safe lane to the community’s water source using red-sprayed rocks. These rocks, gathered by IDPs who were determined to help and after being briefed on the requirements, would serve as vital visual markers for safe passage.
Day 2: Expanding efforts with education and collaboration
On December 22, Children, previously seen playing near unexploded ordnance, began pointing out dangerous items to the team instead.
The team pressed forward, marking additional safe lanes to farming areas and cataloguing the myriad of explosive hazards scattered across the site. Every item was meticulously recorded.
Many items had been moved by people, with efforts to dispose of the explosive ordnance in rubbish pits, concrete bunkers, or areas with limited habitation. The team conveyed messages to the community, emphasized the importance of reporting hazards rather than attempting to move them. Eight people were recently injured in the camp, including three amputees.
Once the population safely relocated, HI recommended designating the area as a Central Demolition Site, where explosive ordnance could be destroyed. The land is well-suited for this purpose, with high walls that help mitigate blast and fragmentation. With no concrete buildings in sight, the risk of earth shock damage would be minimal.
Day 3: Hope amidst the ruins
On December 24, the team was accompanied to a second large quarry containing explosive ordnance. All safe lanes were marked with red-sprayed rocks, as large as possible, spaced at a minimum of 3m and visually recognisable from a distance of 25m.
By the end of our mission, approximately 1,000 explosive items had been identified and marked. Safe lanes were firmly established, and hazardous areas were clearly delineated."
Since mid-2024, HI teams have conducted a dozen of explosive ordnance contamination assessments in various locations in Gaza.
