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UN official: it could take 14 years to clear Gaza Strip of rubble and unexploded bombs
The vast amount of rubble including unexploded ordnance left by Israel’s devastating war in the Gaza Strip could take about 14 years to remove, a United Nations official said on Friday.
Reuters reports Pehr Lodhammar, senior officer at the UN mine action service (Unmas), told a briefing in Geneva that the war had left an estimated 37 million tons of debris in the widely urbanised, densely populated territory.
He said that although it was impossible to determine the exact number of unexploded ordnance found in Gaza, it was projected that it could take 14 years under certain conditions to clear debris, including rubble from destroyed buildings.
“We know that typically there’s a failure rate of at least 10% of land service ammunition that is being fired and fails to function,” he said. “We’re talking about 14 years of work with 100 trucks.”
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that campus protests sweeping the United States over the Middle East were part of democracy, but criticised the “silence” over the Palestinian militants Hamas, according to the AFP agency.
AFP reports Blinken was speaking in Beijing following a day of meetings with high-ranking officials.
It quotes Blinken saying such protests were a “hallmark of our democracy”. “Our citizens make known their views, their concerns, their anger, at any given time.
“I think that reflects the strength of the country.”
But he also reported as saying that protesters had not condemned Hamas, which carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.
“As I’ve also said before, this could be over tomorrow, it could have been over yesterday, it could have been over months ago, if Hamas has put down its weapons, stopped hiding behind civilians, released the hostages.”
“But of course they have chosen not to do that and it is notable there is silence about Hamas, it’s as if it wasn’t even part of the story.”
Police have carried out large-scale arrests in universities across the United States, at times using chemical irritants and tasers to disperse protests over Israel’s war with Hamas.
Israeli media is reporting that protests have been held today outside the home of war cabinet minister Benny Gantz in Rosh HaAyin.
The protest included families members of those still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, demanding that Gantz resign from the government as it is making no progress in securing the release of the hostages.
Of the estimated 250 people seized by Hamas during its 7 October attack inside southern Israel, about 130 are believed to still be held, although not all of them are thought to be alive.
Haaretz quoted Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is being held by Hamas, saying during the protest:
You entered this government because you said that you’ll be able to influence from within. So I ask you Benny: What are you doing? You’ve been a part of this government for seven months now, and Matan, my son, and all the other hostages are still held in Gaza. Explain to me what’s the purpose of going into Rafah? What’s the use of putting the hostages at risk? What’s the use of the meaningless death of our dearest soldiers? Respect yourself and come out to speak with us.
At least 34,356 Palestinians have been killed and 77,368 wounded in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the Hamas-led Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Friday, Reuters reports.
Summary of the day so far …
The vast amount of rubble including unexploded ordnance left by Israel’s devastating war in the Gaza Strip could take about 14 years to remove, a United Nations official said on Friday. Pehr Lodhammar, senior officer at the UN mine action service (Unmas), told a briefing in Geneva that the war had left an estimated 37 million tons of debris in the widely urbanised, densely populated territory.
An Egyptian delegation is set to travel to Israel on Friday to kickstart a new round of ceasefire talks, according to reports in Israeli media and picked up by Agence France-Presse, citing unnamed officials. Qatar, the US and Egypt have been mediating talks to secure a truce and the release of hostages, but those have stalled for days.
A premature Palestinian infant, rescued from her mother’s womb by an emergency caesarean section shortly after the woman was killed by an Israeli airstrike, has died, her uncle said Friday. Rami al-Sheikh said Sabreen Jouda died in a Gaza hospital on Thursday after her health deteriorated and medical teams were unable to save her. The baby’s home in the southern Gaza city of Rafah was hit by an Israeli airstrike shortly before midnight Saturday. Her parents and 4-year-old sister were all killed.
Israel’s military has issued a statement claiming it has foiled a terror attack after detaining two suspects near a farm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Hezbollah claims that it attacked an Israeli military convoy with anti-tank missiles and artillery shells, and that it destroyed two vehicles. Israel’s military have not commented on claims about the destruction of vehicles, but said “an Israeli civilian doing infrastructure work was injured and he was later pronounced dead.”
Students have blocked access to Paris’ Sciences Po university in a protest over the war in Gaza, demanding the institution condemn Israel’s actions. The demonstration has echos of student protests taking place in the US, where multiple arrests of students have been made on a number of campuses.
Students have blocked access to Paris’ Sciences Po university in a protest over the war in Gaza on Friday, demanding the institution condemn Israel’s actions.
The demonstration has echos of student protests taking place in the US, where multiple arrests of students have been made on a number of campuses.
Reuters spoke to two of the protesters. “When we see what is happening in the United States, and now in Australia, we’re really hoping it will catch on here in France, the academic world has a role to play,” said 22-year-old Hicham, a masters student in human rights and humanitarian studies at Sciences Po.
“We’re very happy that (students at) more and more universities are getting mobilised,” said 20-year-old Zoe, a masters student in public administration at Sciences Po. “We hope that will spread to all universities and beyond … we won’t give in until the genocide in Gaza ends.”
Science Po officials did not reply to a request for comment. French police had removed a first group of students that had blocked Sciences Po on Wednesday night.
UN official: it could take 14 years to clear Gaza Strip of rubble and unexploded bombs
The vast amount of rubble including unexploded ordnance left by Israel’s devastating war in the Gaza Strip could take about 14 years to remove, a United Nations official said on Friday.
Reuters reports Pehr Lodhammar, senior officer at the UN mine action service (Unmas), told a briefing in Geneva that the war had left an estimated 37 million tons of debris in the widely urbanised, densely populated territory.
He said that although it was impossible to determine the exact number of unexploded ordnance found in Gaza, it was projected that it could take 14 years under certain conditions to clear debris, including rubble from destroyed buildings.
“We know that typically there’s a failure rate of at least 10% of land service ammunition that is being fired and fails to function,” he said. “We’re talking about 14 years of work with 100 trucks.”
Israeli media is reporting that US secretary of state Antony Blinken is expected to visit the country on Tuesday.
Israel’s military has issued a statement claiming it has foiled a terror attack after detaining two suspects near a farm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
In the statement, it said:
A short while ago, IDF soldiers apprehended two terrorists who arrived at a farm in the area of Binyamin. One of the terrorists was holding an axe with the intention of carrying out a terrorist attack in the area. Following searches of their vehicle, additional axes and knives were found. The terrorists and the weapons were transferred to security forces for further questioning and review.
The Times of Israel notes the location as “an illegal farming outpost” which it says was “established by far-right activist Neriya Ben Pazi, who has been sanctioned by the US and the EU”.
Palestinian authorities have said a grave site discovered at the Nasser hospital, the main medical facility in central Gaza, contained nearly 400 bodies. It was uncovered after Israeli troops pulled out of the city of Khan Younis. Israel has said accusations it had buried the bodies were “baseless and unfounded”, but said IDF forces searching for Israeli hostages had examined bodies buried near Nasser hospital and then returned them. Our video team have this report on Palestinians with missing relatives desperately searching for them:
If you are interested in finding out more about the crisis in the Middle East and the Guardian’s reporting on it, we have an event next week which might help.
Guardian Newsroom: Crisis in the Middle East is a livestreamed event which will be chaired by Devika Bhat, the Guardian’s deputy head of international news, and will feature contributions from Peter Beaumont, the Guardian’s senior international reporter, Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Guardian reporter, and Emma Graham-Harrison, senior international affairs correspondent.
The event takes place on Tuesday 30 April 2024, from 7pm-8:15pm BST. You can book tickets online, and find out more details here …
Here are some of the latest images sent to us over the news wires from Gaza.
