14-Year Effort to Clear Gaza Debris: UN Official Estimates 37 Million Tons of Rubble and Unexploded Ordinance
A UN official has estimated that clearing the debris from the 2021 Israeli military campaign in Gaza could take up to 14 years.
The campaign, against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, left an estimated 37 million tons of rubble, including unexploded ordnance, in the densely populated territory of 2.3 million people.
The aftermath of the war has left most civilians homeless, hungry, and at risk of disease.
A representative stated that the clearance of unexploded ordnance in Gaza could take 14 years under ideal conditions, considering the failure rate of at least 10% for land service ammunition.
This would require the use of 100 trucks for 14 years of work.
The conflict began when Hamas militants infiltrated southern Israel, resulting in over 1,200 deaths according to Israeli records.
Hamas is currently holding 129 hostages out of the 253 they took on October 7.
Since October 7, Gaza's health ministry reports that 34,305 Palestinians have been killed and 77,293 wounded in Israel's military offensive.