Gaza's Rubble Yields Deadly Toy: Twin Children Wounded by Unexploded Ordnance
Under the recent ceasefire, Palestinians return to devastated homes but encounter life-threatening dangers buried in the rubble.
In the wake of the ceasefire that began on October 10th, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have begun returning to their homes in Gaza, only to find remnants of the devastating conflict scattered throughout.
Among these dangers are unexploded ordnance (UXO), which pose a significant threat to the population, especially children, as they explore and sift through the debris.
The Shorbasi family experienced this harsh reality firsthand when six-year-old twins Yahya and Nabila discovered what appeared to be a toy in their severely damaged home in Gaza City.
The object detonated upon contact, leaving both children with life-threatening injuries.
Yahya's right arm and leg were bandaged, while Nabila had a bandaged forehead; both sustained shrapnel wounds and underwent emergency surgery at Shifa Hospital.
Their grandfather, Tawfiq Shorbasi, recounted the moment: "It was like a toy," he described, struggling to maintain his composure.
The twins' lives have been forever altered, as their family returned home just last week after Israel's final military push before the ceasefire with Hamas.
This incident is not isolated; over the past week, five children in Gaza were wounded by unexploded ordnance, including two others, Yazan and Jude Nour.
The Health Ministry, operating under the Hamas-run government, has documented these cases, highlighting the ongoing peril posed by UXO amidst a ceasefire.
The conflict has left Gaza strewn with an estimated 60 million tons of debris, according to Luke Irving, head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in the Palestinian territories.
Since the war began, at least 52 Palestinians have been killed and 267 others wounded by these remnants, though the true extent may be higher.
In October alone, 560 UXO items were discovered, with many more anticipated beneath the rubble.
As international efforts to clear Gaza of these hazards intensify, with additional de-mining experts expected in the coming weeks, the urgency of this mission cannot be overstated.
The return to normalcy for Palestinians remains precarious until these dangers are fully mitigated.
Among these dangers are unexploded ordnance (UXO), which pose a significant threat to the population, especially children, as they explore and sift through the debris.
The Shorbasi family experienced this harsh reality firsthand when six-year-old twins Yahya and Nabila discovered what appeared to be a toy in their severely damaged home in Gaza City.
The object detonated upon contact, leaving both children with life-threatening injuries.
Yahya's right arm and leg were bandaged, while Nabila had a bandaged forehead; both sustained shrapnel wounds and underwent emergency surgery at Shifa Hospital.
Their grandfather, Tawfiq Shorbasi, recounted the moment: "It was like a toy," he described, struggling to maintain his composure.
The twins' lives have been forever altered, as their family returned home just last week after Israel's final military push before the ceasefire with Hamas.
This incident is not isolated; over the past week, five children in Gaza were wounded by unexploded ordnance, including two others, Yazan and Jude Nour.
The Health Ministry, operating under the Hamas-run government, has documented these cases, highlighting the ongoing peril posed by UXO amidst a ceasefire.
The conflict has left Gaza strewn with an estimated 60 million tons of debris, according to Luke Irving, head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in the Palestinian territories.
Since the war began, at least 52 Palestinians have been killed and 267 others wounded by these remnants, though the true extent may be higher.
In October alone, 560 UXO items were discovered, with many more anticipated beneath the rubble.
As international efforts to clear Gaza of these hazards intensify, with additional de-mining experts expected in the coming weeks, the urgency of this mission cannot be overstated.
The return to normalcy for Palestinians remains precarious until these dangers are fully mitigated.
