Thousands of pounds of explosives found in Gaza schools, roads: UNRWA

The UN agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on Tuesday that it uncovered thousands of pounds of explosives inside schools and on roads after Israeli troops pulled out from Khan Younis.

This comes after the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) announced it withdrew its 98th Division from Khan Younis.

“Following the withdrawal of ISF [Israeli security forces] from Khan Younis on 11 April, UNRWA alongside other UN agencies participated in a UN inter-agency assessment mission. The mission concluded there are significant challenges in operating safely due to the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXOs), including 1,000-pound bombs inside schools and on roads,” the agency said in a weekly report on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Read more: IOF emptying Beit Hanoun, eastern Jabalia from Palestinians: Sources

On the 193rd day of the Israeli war on Gaza, the Ministry of Health in the Strip reported that the IOF committed five massacres in 24 hours only against Palestinian families, resulting in 46 martyrs and 110 injuries.

The Ministry stated that the number of Palestinians martyred since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza now stands at 33,843, in addition to 76,575 injuries.

The UN Food Agency (WFP) said that families in Gaza rely entirely on food assistance to get by.

“To truly have a chance of beating back famine, we need more access and a humanitarian ceasefire,” the agency said in a post on X.

Families like Iman’s in #Gaza rely entirely on food assistance to get by.

WFP is reaching more than a million people each month, despite enormous challenges.

But to truly have a chance of beating back #famine, we need more access and a humanitarian ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/No5J6tf0bG

— World Food Programme (@WFP) April 16, 2024

Several UN agencies have warned of the threat of imminent famine in Gaza, as the Israeli occupation forces continue to block the entry of much-needed aid into the besieged Strip.