Up to 10% of munitions fired by Israel into Gaza have failed to detonate, leaving behind deadly hazards for years to come.

Explosive Remnants in Gaza Rubble
Cause Dozens of Civilian Casualties
Abubaker Abed / Drop Site News

(February 13, 2025) — Phase 1 of the Gaza “ceasefire” appears to be back on track after the deal was thrown into disarray this week by Israel’s continued violations of the agreement. On Thursday, Hamas said in a statement that it will release the three Israeli captives as planned on Saturday after it received assurances from Qatari and Egyptian mediators that Israel would stop blocking the entry of aid and other goods as stipulated in the agreement.

Earlier this week, on Monday, Hamas had announced it would indefinitely postpone the next scheduled batch of releases, accusing Israel of multiple violations of the deal—including killing civilians, repeated ground and air incursions, and blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and essential supplies. Israel responded by threatening a full resumption of the war, prompting critical negotiations to try and salvage the ceasefire.

In a statement on Thursday, Hamas said, “the discussions were characterized by a positive spirit, and the mediating brothers in Egypt and Qatar confirmed that they would follow up on all of this to remove obstacles and close gaps. Accordingly, Hamas confirms its continued position to implement the agreement in accordance with what was signed, including the exchange of prisoners according to the specified timetable.”

There has been no confirmation from Israeli officials so far.

Nearly 100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19. The ministry of health reported today that three Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours and an additional 14 bodies retrieved from under the rubble.

Along with the thousands of bodies buried in the ruins, tens of thousands of unexploded bombs fired by Israel are also scattered across Gaza. Gaza-based journalist Abubaker Abed filed this story about unexploded munitions, which pose a deadly risk for years to come.

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