Gaza – Civil defense teams in Gaza have recovered the bodies of 153 martyrs from under the rubble of homes targeted by the Israeli occupation forces across the Gaza Strip since the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Mouhammad Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense, stated on Wednesday that efforts to recover the bodies of martyrs buried under the debris and in the streets are ongoing under extremely challenging conditions. He emphasized, “The civil defense teams are doing everything possible to support the recovery operations, but the situation on the ground demands far greater resources.”
Catastrophic Conditions in Northern Gaza
Basal highlighted the particularly dire situation in northern Gaza, where the devastation caused by the Israeli ground operation, which lasted over 100 days, and continuous airstrikes have resulted in massive destruction. He described northern Gaza as “a pile of rubble,” with sand, stones, and bodies entangled, making recovery efforts exceedingly difficult.
Despite the immense challenges, local citizens have actively assisted in recovery operations in some areas, allowing for greater progress compared to northern Gaza. The spokesperson pointed out that recovery efforts in Rafah Governorate yielded the highest number of martyrs retrieved, with approximately 150 bodies recovered from various sites.
Lack of Resources Hindering Recovery
Basal stressed that the absence of heavy machinery is severely hampering recovery efforts, noting that such equipment is essential to speed up operations and access areas buried under deep rubble. He called for the urgent introduction of these resources to enable the civil defense teams to complete their mission.
Scale of the Devastation
The latest statistics reveal the devastating human toll of the Israeli aggression on Gaza:
- 47,161 Palestinians have been martyred.
- Over 111,166 individuals have been injured.
- Approximately 14,222 individuals remain missing, with the majority presumed martyred under the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by the occupation forces.
The ceasefire agreement, which came into effect last Sunday, followed a brutal Israeli offensive on Gaza that began on October 7, 2023. Despite the ceasefire, the immense scale of destruction and the ongoing struggle to recover victims underscore the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
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Author: Nor-Eleslam
