Landmines is one of the common means of killing which spread in various conflict zones in the world including Palestine which is still suffering from mines in various areas despite the removal of large numbers of them.
According to the statistics of The Palestinian Mine Action Center in 2017 mines have killed 300 Palestinians and left nearly 26000 others handicapped.
Statistics also suggest the existence of a million and a half mines scattered in 166 fields all the way from Jenin to Hebron especially in the border areas.
Ahmad Masaid a resident of the Jordan Valley says the Valley has the largest number of mines in Palestine as well as ordnances left by the Israeli occupation forces which also claimed the lives of many Palestinians.
He added “The Israeli occupation exerted all possible means to control the Palestinian side of the Jordan Valley including planting hundreds of agricultural acres with mines.
Some Palestinian communities such as Khirbit Yizra and Wadi al-Malih overlook these mines.”
He continued “There are hundreds of Palestinians who lost their lives or had their limbs amputated turning them into powerless handicapped persons due to these mines which surround Palestinian villages and communities. These mines are present in a terrifying manner in mountains and valleys.”
No fence zone
He pointed out that the danger lies in the fact that there are many minefields in the occupied Jordan Valley without having clear information about the whereabouts of these mines in terms of numbers and places and even without having a fence or warning signs which indicate the locations of these mines.
The Israeli occupation army had randomly planted these mines. Palestinian farmers are denied access into their agricultural lands after they were declared closed military zones Masaid said.
An expert who works with a UN team to combat mines told the PIC reporter following a talk he gave on the International Day against Mines “The danger of mines is still present in Palestine. They take several forms starting from 1967 and even earlier as well as new planted mines such as those planted following the 2014 war on Gaza.”
He added “We work in the Gaza Strip to remove mines and the remains of wars the Gaza Strip had experienced especially the last two wars. We defused 129 bombs and removed 29 tons of military ordnance.”
Obstacle for development
Engineer Mazen Awad who supervises some development projects in the West Bank told the PIC reporter that in addition to the fact that mines cause loss of life especially for Palestinian shepherds and farmers they also hinder development in Palestine.
He added “Many of these mines are in lands that could be used for industrial or agricultural purposes. They pose as an obstacle to the development of the Palestinian economy.”
