Please refer to the attached file.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Explosive ordnance contamination has become one of the defining humanitarian and protection challenges in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT), creating a continuum of civilian harm that extends long after an attack occurs. In Gaza, extensive use of explosive weapons in a densely populated environment has caused exceptionally high levels of death, traumatic injury, displacement and destruction, leaving at least 68 million metric tonnes of debris and contaminated rubble, and creating one of the most complex explosive ordnance contamination environments in recent history.¹ Explosive ordnance remain embedded in collapsed homes and damaged infrastructure,² creating immediate risk of harm to civilians while increasing the complexity of Explosive Hazard Assessments, debris management, the dignified recovery of human remains, and broader Humanitarian Mine Action operations.³ Since October 2023, UNMAS have recorded 1,455 explosive ordnance incidents across OPT, resulting in 1,175 people injured and 280 killed as of September 2026, with these figures continuing to grow. In Gaza, more than 918,000 people are estimated to be living in close proximity to identified explosive ordnance threats; however, considering data limitations, the actual number of people at risk is likely significantly higher. In the West Bank, decades of legacy contamination are increasingly compounded by militarized operations in populated areas and emerging hazards associated with wider regional escalation. Over 3,097 explosive ordnance items were reported in 2025, with the highest concentrations recorded in the Hebron, Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarem governorates.
The consequences are immediate and long-term. Harm begins with death and traumatic injury but continues through subsequent exposure to unexploded ordnance, damaged civilian infrastructure, disrupted services, psychological distress and repeated displacement. Survivors frequently require complex medical treatment, rehabilitation, psychosocial support and concurrent specialized services, while the parallel impacts of explosive ordnance use resulting in injury and the decimation of the health services required for rehabilitation converge to create additional, long-term and complex harm for survivors. Persistent fear of explosive ordnance further limits everyday movement, access to essential services, livelihoods and wellbeing.
Operational constraints are amplifying this harm while preventing Humanitarian Mine Action from responding at the scale required. The continuing use of explosive ordnance in attacks generates new contamination while restricting access to affected areas. Restrictions on humanitarian access, operational permissions, Explosive Ordnance Disposal activities, and the entry of specialized personnel and equipment significantly constrain Mine Action actors’ ability to assess, mark and mitigate hazards. One hundred per cent of partners reported that planned Mine Action activities had been delayed, reduced or cancelled due to access constraints during the previous 12 months. Severe funding shortfalls further limit capacity; the Mine Action thematic area is currently funded to cover only 10.5 per cent of requirements. As a result, many contaminated areas remain unassessed, and civilians, humanitarian personnel and communities face prolonged exposure to risk.
These constraints affect the entire humanitarian response. Where explosive ordnance cannot be addressed, humanitarian operations, debris management and infrastructure repair are delayed or made more dangerous. Contamination also constitutes a major barrier to safe, informed, voluntary and dignified return. Explosive ordnance embedded in homes, neighbourhoods, agricultural land, public infrastructure and rubble prevent Palestinians from safely returning to their homes and communities. Combined with restrictions on the activities required to create safer conditions, contamination prolongs displacement, limits freedom of movement, delays reconstruction and undermines durable solutions and the realization of Palestinians’ right to return.
Humanitarian Mine Action is therefore both life-saving and an essential enabler of protection, the wider humanitarian response, recovery and the enjoyment of rights in Palestine. Through Explosive Hazard Assessments, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education, Victim Assistance and Mine Action information management, Humanitarian Mine Action reduces immediate risks while enabling safe aid delivery and return. It must be treated not as a stand-alone technical activity, but as a cross-cutting protection intervention integrated centrally into the OPT humanitarian response and recovery.
Ultimately, Humanitarian Mine Action addressing explosive ordnance contamination is essential to interrupting the continuum of civilian harm created by the use of explosive ordnance, including weapons with wide-area effects. This requires safe and predictable humanitarian access, authorization for Mine Action activities, access for specialized personnel and equipment, sustained multi-year financing, and investment in Palestinian capacity. Without these conditions, Palestinians will continue to face the consequences of explosive weapons long after attacks occur. Enabling Humanitarian Mine Action at the required scale is essential to save lives and create the conditions for protection, and for Palestinians to safely return, rebuild their lives and re-establish their communities.