Palestine
The security situation in Palestine remains highly volatile and the country continues to experiences waves of armed violence, owing to the ongoing conflict with Israel, which occupies the territory of Palestine,1 and clashes between various non-state armed groups and state forces. Human rights violations and forced displacement also fuel this insecurity.2 Due to this ongoing instability, it is difficult to estimate the state of weapons and ammunition trafficking in Palestine. Reports state that unexploded ordnance left in the West Bank area, and possibly also in and around the Gaza Strip, continue to pose a significant threat.3 The Small Arms Survey has worked on disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) related to Palestine.4
1 “Palestine,” Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts Project (RULAC), Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, updated January 31, 2018, https://www.rulac.org/browse/countries/palestine.
2 “UN Humanitarian Coordinator 'Gravely Concerned' by Escalation of Violence in Gaza,” UN Office at Geneva, August 6, 2022, https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2022/08/un-humanitarian-coordinator-gravely-concerned-escalation-violence-gaza.
3 “Halo's Work in the West Bank,” HALO Trust, accessed August 18, 2022, https://www.halotrust.org/where-we-work/middle-east/west-bank/; “Landmines: Palestine's Hidden Danger,” Al Jazeera, January 10, 2004, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/1/10/landmines-palestines-hidden-danger.
4 “Ammunition Management Activity Platform (A-MAP),” GICHD, 2022, https://a-map.gichd.org.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the Small Arms Survey began collecting data in 1979, one accidental explosion has been reported in Palestine.
Table 1. Accidental explosions in Palestine (1979–2021)
Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
2010 | Rafah | Non-state (actor) | 12 | N/A |
Source: “Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS) Database,” Small Arms Survey, updated December 15, 2021, https://smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems.
Cases of diversion
Insufficient information on cases of diversion in Palestine.
Disposal
Insufficient information on the disposal of ammunition in Palestine.
Needs
No needs have been reported for Palestine.1
1 No National Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) is available for Palestine: https://smallarms.un-arm.org/national-reports/.
