Unexploded ordnance buried in the rubble will make the cleanup process complicated.

Lodhammar noted that at least 10% of land service ammunition typically fails, making it impossible to determine how much live ammunition remains.

Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council added that this equates to around 300 kg per square meter of debris.

UNMAS head Lodhammar estimated that it would take 14 years to clear 100 trucks of debris from the Gaza Strip, speaking at the launch of UNMAS's 2023 annual report.

The war between Israel and Hamas, which began on Oct. 7, was the topic of concern as the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, warned of potential disaster if Israel attacked Rafah in southern Gaza.

Egeland urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the operation, as 1.3 million civilians in Rafah, including his aid group's staff, lived in fear of the offensive.

Additionally, Egeland predicted a "countdown to an even bigger conflict" in the Middle East if the Israeli assault went ahead.

The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, warned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu against starting a new war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Egeland spoke to Reuters while visiting southern Lebanese villages affected by the ongoing clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah.

He expressed concern about the potential for a larger conflict, drawing parallels to the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, which he oversaw as the UN's relief operations chief.

Egeland urged against the conflict, stating that it would be disastrous for both the Palestinians and Israelis, leaving a lasting stain on Israeli conscience and history.