Thousands of Palestinians remain missing beneath destroyed buildings years after the attacks

Years after Israeli attacks devastated large parts of the Gaza Strip, thousands of Palestinian martyrs are still believed to be buried beneath the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings. Civil Defense teams continue searching for the remains of the martyrs despite severe shortages of heavy machinery and specialized equipment, making recovery operations slow and extremely difficult.

Rescue teams have continued recovering the remains of martyrs from neighborhoods flattened during the attacks. However, the vast amount of debris covering residential areas has made access to those still trapped beneath the rubble increasingly challenging.

Civil Defense officials say they lack sufficient excavators, cranes and other specialized equipment needed to safely remove the enormous volume of concrete and debris. Restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery into Gaza have further hampered operations, forcing crews in some locations to clear rubble by hand.

Remains of martyrs continue to be recovered years later

In Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood, Civil Defense teams recently recovered the remains of nine martyrs from the rubble of a house destroyed nearly three years ago.

Mohammed Abu Dan, who oversees martyr recovery operations for Gaza Civil Defense, said the home belonging to the Salmi family was struck on November 20, 2023. While some martyrs were recovered shortly after the attack, others remained trapped beneath the collapsed building.

Among the recovered martyrs were four children and two elderly women.

Officials say such recoveries highlight the lasting humanitarian consequences of the destruction, as many Palestinian families continue to wait for the opportunity to retrieve the remains of their loved ones and bury them with dignity.

Hundreds of martyrs remain beneath the rubble at a single site

One of the deadliest attacks took place in the Sabra neighborhood on November 22, 2023, where approximately 308 Palestinians were martyred after homes belonging to the Abu Sharia and Hasayneh families were targeted.

According to Civil Defense officials, the martyrs included 44 children under the age of six and 37 women.

After 17 days of recovery operations, rescue teams managed to recover the remains of 112 martyrs, while an estimated 196 martyrs are still believed to remain beneath the rubble.

The recovered martyrs were later buried following a collective funeral held near the site of the destroyed homes at the request of their families.

Between 10,000 and 15,000 Palestinians remain missing

According to estimates by Gaza's Civil Defense and health authorities, between 10,000 and 15,000 Palestinians remain missing, with a large number believed to be martyrs still trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

As time passes, recovery efforts become increasingly difficult because human remains deteriorate, requiring painstaking excavation and identification work.

Civil Defense personnel have also paid a heavy price during the recovery mission, with numerous rescuers martyred or injured while searching for survivors and recovering the remains of martyrs.

Gaza's hidden tragedy continues

Beyond the visible destruction, Gaza's mountains of rubble continue to conceal one of the conflict's deepest humanitarian tragedies—the remains of thousands of Palestinian martyrs who have yet to be recovered.

Civil Defense teams are currently carrying out recovery work under an 800-hour project coordinated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Officials say the available resources remain far from sufficient to remove the enormous volume of debris or recover all those still buried beneath it.

Each martyr recovered brings closure to another grieving family, yet thousands more remain missing, leaving one of the most painful chapters of Gaza's humanitarian crisis unresolved. (ILKHA)