International humanitarian NGO Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has warned that Gazans are at long-term risk from unexploded and unused ordnance in the densely populated Palestinian territory, AFP reports.

“These remnants of war, which fail to detonate upon impact or may have been abandoned during warfare, pose a long-term threat to civilian populations, often causing injuries and deaths long after the fighting ceases,” said DRC’s Corinne Linnecar.

The NGO, which has a presence in the Gaza Strip, said in a report that ammunition, exploded or otherwise, can be found in many populated areas of the territory.

The report said 70 per cent of Gazans have returned to areas where there has been active combat, raising the risk of their coming into contact with explosive material.

With the territory in the grip of a humanitarian crisis and very little aid getting in, Gazans in desperate need of basic goods have “sifted through rubble for essential supplies” where they can also encounter munitions.

Longer-term healthcare services are also nearly non-existent, DRC said.

“Only 19pc of explosive ordnance victims receive emergency first aid, and long-term medical support is virtually non-existent,” the report said, noting that children are especially at risk because they can confuse munitions with toys.

“Israel is using weapons indiscriminately in civilian areas over and over again, in a way that is in violation of international humanitarian law,” Linnecar told AFP.

“The remnants of war will continue to claim lives long after the fighting ceases,” DRC said.