Explosive expert's Gaza work recognised with medal

An explosive disposal expert has been given an award for his work in Gaza.

Gary Toombs worked with an international charity protecting civilians in the Palestinian city during the Israel-Gaza conflict, which began in 2023.

Toombs, from New Waltham, near Grimsby, was part of a mine clearance team awarded the Humanitarian Medal, which is given by the government to those in public service who respond to crises in support of human welfare.

He said the award recognised "an extraordinary team of people who work to protect civilians and humanitarian workers in some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable".

Toombs was a former Royal Engineer bomb disposal officer in the British Army, where he spent 16 years, before joining Humanity & Inclusion – an independent charity working in situations of poverty, conflict and disaster – in 2016.

He said his work had also taken him to Ukraine and Syria.

Toombs said being able to use the skills he learned in the military "for a really worthwhile purpose" gave him a "sense of pride and achievement".

"Seeing a child go back to school or a hospital rebuilt is a really good way of being able to put my skillset to good use," he added.

Toombs was one of the first members of his team to be deployed to Gaza in February 2024 and the charity spent two years in the city.

He was awarded the Humanitarian Medal, which was introduced in 2023 and backed by the King, alongside six of his colleagues.

The medal is for organisations deployed internationally, or in the UK, on behalf of, endorsed by, or funded by the government.

The award honours public servants, health workers, military personnel and charity staff who provide life-saving support during serious or catastrophic crises.

The team attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May and Toombs received his medal this month.

The team conducted 186 assessments of humanitarian sites to assess whether they were free from explosive ordnance, along with 57,000 risk-education sessions. They also escorted humanitarian convoys delivering aid supplies.

Toombs said removing rubble and debris in Gaza was a "technically complex and a very sensitive challenge" because it contained "unexploded ordnance, hazardous materials and tragically human remains".

"The physical reconstruction will take years and the explosive ordnance legacy will affect communities for a very long time," he added.

Toombs is returning to Ukraine on Monday to carry out a similar mission – his seventh trip to the country since 2022.

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