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Aid Groups Warn Gaza Bomb Clearance Could Take 20–30 Years as Access Stalls

Experts say rubble conceals widespread unexploded devices that will endanger returning civilians for years.

Overview

  • Humanity & Inclusion’s Nick Orr describes Gaza as a “horrific, unmapped minefield” and says full clearance is unrealistic with subterranean hazards persisting for generations.
  • Surface removal alone is estimated to take 20 to 30 years, reflecting the slow, resource‑intensive work required in dense urban debris.
  • A U.N.-led database records more than 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries from explosive remnants, a toll aid groups believe is undercounted.
  • A seven‑person Humanity & Inclusion team plans to survey sites such as hospitals and bakeries next week, but it lacks blanket Israeli permission and specialized equipment approvals.
  • Aid groups are seeking authorization to import supplies to burn unexploded bombs rather than detonate them, while U.N. mine‑action officials urge broad public warnings and a security arrangement to let deminers operate.