GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), A Palestinian child was killed on Thursday evening after an explosive device, left behind by Israeli occupation forces, detonated inside Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
Gaza’s Civil Defense reported that the child died when the suspicious object, a remnant of Israeli military operations, exploded inside a residential home belonging to the Al-Souri family on Al-Jaouni Street in the camp.
Local sources confirmed that the body of the child, identified as Ahmad Abdullah Mahmoud Al-Souri, was transferred from the camp to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah.
In a related incident, Rafah Police in southern Gaza reported Thursday that their Forensic and Rapid Response teams successfully neutralized an Israeli tank shell that had landed on a civilian’s tent in the Kanis area of southern Rafah.
The head of the forensic unit explained that the unexploded shell was an M339 120mm round. Its failure to detonate upon impact posed a direct threat to residents.
He added, “Upon receiving the alert, our specialized teams immediately responded and safely defused the shell without any casualties.”
In recent months, multiple casualties, including children, have occurred due to the detonation of unexploded ordnance left behind during Israel’s two-year-long war on Gaza.
Julius van der Welte, head of the UN Mine Action Program in the Palestinian Territories, had previously warned that children are the group most vulnerable to the dangers of unexploded ordnance and remnants of war. He stressed that these hazards are hindering efforts to restore normal life in Gaza.
Van der Welte explained that these remnants pose a serious risk to civilians, especially as hundreds of thousands of people move about following the ceasefire, and that children’s curiosity and lack of awareness increase the likelihood of accidents.
He also noted the lack of accurate data on the full extent of explosive contamination in Gaza but said that indicators point to widespread presence across much of the Strip.
