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.
