UN Mine Action Service warns of explosive-ordnance risk as civilians return to Gaza; reports rise in West Bank

Luke Irving, head of the Mine Action Service in the occupied Palestinian territory, told a United Nations briefing that teams working in Gaza and the West Bank are encountering a wide range of explosive ordnance as civilians return to previously inaccessible areas and as humanitarian access increases.

Irving said the Mine Action Service and partners have documented a range of items "including aerial bombs, mortars, rockets, projectiles, grenades, and improvised explosive devices," and that such items "have killed and injured civilians in Gaza, and they have risked preventing humanitarian activities from taking place safely." He said primary data reported to the service's public information system show "at least 92 people have been killed or injured from explosive ordinance since October 23." Irving added that since the ceasefire he and colleagues have received unverified reports of 24 victims, averaging "over two people a day."

The nut graf: The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said the threat of unexploded ordnance is both impeding humanitarian operations and posing immediate danger to civilians returning to homes and sites of damaged infrastructure. UNMAS described its current priorities as risk education for civilians and…