Nineteen bodies have been recovered from the debris of a collapsed residential building in Gaza City following an Israeli strike. Gaza’s Civil Defence authorities stated that the majority of the victims were women and children.
The rescue operation, which concluded yesterday (Saturday), marks the latest instance in the long and arduous effort to locate bodies buried beneath the rubble in Gaza. Rescue work is being carried out manually, even though clearing collapsed concrete typically requires heavy machinery. The lack of such heavy equipment is severely hampering rescue efforts in the territory.
Mohammed Abu Dan, the supervisor of the rescue operations, announced that the search at the ‘Karam’ building in western Gaza City has been called off after four consecutive days of work.
Abu Dan stated that specialized medical personnel and Civil Defence rescue teams would now move to another location in Gaza City to launch a new search and rescue operation.
“According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 8,000 people remain missing across the territory; they are believed to be buried under the rubble.”
Gaza Civil Defence officials have repeatedly stated that, due to the lack of heavy machinery capable of moving the massive concrete piles resulting from Israeli strikes, rescue workers are forced to rely on basic tools and strenuous physical labor.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 8,000 people remain missing across the territory; they are believed to be buried under the rubble.
According to the ministry’s latest figures, at least 1,254 people have been killed and 4,121 injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas came into effect on October 11 of last year. During the same period, the bodies of 804 individuals have been recovered from the rubble. Due to a lack of heavy machinery capable of clearing the massive piles of concrete from buildings collapsed in Israeli attacks, rescue workers are forced to rely on basic tools and strenuous physical labor.
Since the conflict began in October 2023, more than 73,300 people have been killed and over 174,000 injured in Gaza.
A mass funeral was held in Gaza City last Tuesday for 112 members of the Abu Sharia and Al-Hasaina families. Their bodies had been recovered from the rubble of a residential building in the Sabra area—a structure destroyed by an Israeli strike in November 2023. Following this mass funeral, another 19 bodies were recovered during a rescue operation at a different building.
