TEL AVIV: The United Nations (UN) agency for Palestinian refugees said on Tuesday it had found unexploded 1,000-pound bombs inside schools after Israel pulled troops out of southern Gaza's main city Khan Younis.

The Israeli army has carried out relentless airstrikes and bombardments in Gaza since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7.

UN agencies led an "assessment mission" in Khan Younis after Israeli forces withdrew from the embattled city last week, UN Relief and Works Agency said.

It found "significant challenges in operating safely due to the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXOs), including 1,000-pound bombs inside schools and on roads".

"Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) require a range of lifesaving assistance, including health, water and sanitation, and food," it said.

Earlier this month, the UN said it would take "millions of dollars and many years to decontaminate the (Gaza) Strip from unexploded munitions".

"We work off the rule of thumb that 10 per cent of ordnance doesn't function as designed," UN Mine Action Service chief Charles Birch said in a statement earlier this month.

"We estimate that, to begin the clearance of Gaza, we need around US$45 million."

 - AFP