Unexploded Armoured Vehicle Highlights Gaza’s Return-Home Crisis in Khan Younis:

As families tentatively return to their neighbourhoods in the southern city of Khan Younis following the October 10 ceasefire, they are met with ruins—and hidden, deadly threats. One returnee, Ayman Qadourah, discovered his temporary shelter pitched atop a huge, unexploded Israeli armoured vehicle among the rubble. The machine—known locally as an “explosive robot”—was deployed during the bombardment to flatten entire blocks. Qadourah returned to his home a month ago and found not only twisted metal where his home once stood, but also an unexploded device in his neighbour’s house. He recalled how an F-16 missile carved a three-metre-deep crater between their properties, while two additional strikes hit the back of his own house. With no alternative shelter and large parts of Gaza still occupied by Israeli forces, he set up a tent over the hulking military machine. “If one detonates, it could obliterate a whole neighbourhood,” he said, adding that he covers the device regularly with sand to try to reduce the danger. His story illustrates the scale of destruction and hazard facing returning civilians. According to the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), over 42,000 buildings were affected in the Khan Younis governorate—19,000 within the city itself. Across the entire Gaza Strip, more than 227,000 housing units have been damaged, leaving hundreds of thousands with nowhere to go. Humanitarian agencies estimate at least 560 explosive devices have been identified in areas cleared so far, while the actual number is likely far higher. Explosive remnants of war pose a growing crisis. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) warns that Gaza is at its “most dangerous stage” for UXO (unexploded ordnance) injuries, especially as displaced people move back into areas they do not know well. Roughly 10 % or more of munitions used in the fights may have failed to detonate, leaving them buried underneath debris or buried close to homes and schools — a risk that will persist for years. Qadourah’s family now live amidst those dangers. His children wear clothes pulled from beneath the rubble of their home—but those garments caused skin infections, rashes and abscesses. He says they remain in the damaged zone because “there simply are no alternatives. There isn’t an inch of space left” in overcrowded displacement camps nearby. Aid agencies have increased deliveries of food, tents, hygiene supplies and fuel since the ceasefire, yet the goal of getting 600 aid-truck loads into Gaza each day remains far from reality. Even with greater access, the clean-up and de-mining effort will be enormous: experts estimate it could take 20 to 30 years to clear Gaza of unexploded ordnance and rubble. Why this matters Returning families face not just homelessness, but life-threatening hazards they cannot easily see. The presence of unexploded military vehicles and bombs in residential neighbourhoods underscores both the depth of destruction and the long-term risk. Relief remains urgent: shelter, medical care, and mine-action resources are all desperately needed. What to watch How many displaced families are able to return safely, and whether hazard-mitigation teams can reach and clear high-risk zones. Whether access restrictions to aid and de-mining equipment are eased—clearance cannot proceed without safe corridors and permissions. The evolving humanitarian needs: as more people return, the demand for safe housing, health services (especially for children facing infection from rubble), and local infrastructure will surge. In the ruins of Khan Younis, Qadourah’s tent stands as both a symbol of hope and a warning: even when the fighting stops, the war’s legacy remains underfoot. The road ahead will be long—and dangerous—for Gazans trying to rebuild their lives.

NEWS