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Gaza faces rodent infestation due to bodies remaining under rubble — FT

UNICEF spokesman Salim Oweis told the news outlet that authorities are not permitting the equipment needed for debris removal into the enclave

LONDON, June 10. /TASS/. The Gaza Strip is facing an infestation of rats and other rodents because bodies remain trapped beneath rubble, the Financial Times (FT) reported, citing local residents and international organizations.

"These big rodents have been feeding on bodies under the rubble and their numbers have multiplied. <...> They come into the tent and chew on our clothes. Every day we have to throw something out," one enclave resident told the newspaper.

UNICEF spokesman Salim Oweis told the news outlet that authorities are not permitting the equipment needed for debris removal into the enclave. He added that there is no available space in the territory to store debris during clearance operations. Another local resident said rats are also attracted by wastewater from pit latrines that residents are forced to dig themselves, because they lack access to sewage systems.

Residents of the Gaza Strip are also suffering from mosquitoes, fleas, and lice as well as rodents. These pests cause infections and spread disease amid damaged infrastructure and unsanitary conditions caused by garbage and wastewater. No reconstruction work has taken place in the enclave since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect in October 2025.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), however, says aid agencies have delivered nearly 170 metric tons of pesticides and thousands of traps for rats and other pests to the Gaza Strip in recent weeks at the request of the United Nations and humanitarian organizations.

The National previously reported that at least 8,000 bodies remain trapped beneath collapsed buildings in the Gaza Strip, while a shortage of equipment and machinery continues to hamper recovery efforts. The situation is fueling the growth of rodent and stray animal populations and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. Authorities in the enclave later confirmed that they lack sufficient resources to combat the rodent and insect infestation and are unable to bring the situation under control.