RAMALLAH, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian government announced Tuesday that it is partnering with international organizations to remove unexploded ordnance in Gaza.
Field surveys, marking of contaminated areas, and training of local personnel have already begun in Gaza, and the Palestinian Mine Action Center is working to form a broad international coalition for the task once technical teams can operate in the enclave, read a government press statement.
However, Israeli authorities "are still not permitting the removal of remnants of war and are preventing the entry of equipment required to initiate the operation," read the statement.
The statement warned that more than 20,000 unexploded bombs remain in Gaza, posing a severe threat to civilians.
Palestinian organizations operating in Gaza reported that such ordnance has killed about 52 people and injured others since the outbreak of the conflict on Oct. 7, 2023. ■
