(MENAFN) The Gaza-based Civil Defense reported on Saturday that since the Israeli atrocities started on October 7, 2023, approximately 9,500 people remain unaccounted for. Mahmoud Basal, the Civil Defense spokesperson, called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to work closely with Israeli authorities to clarify the status of those missing.

Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Friday, Civil Defense teams have recovered over 150 bodies. Basal noted that search efforts continue to face significant obstacles due to insufficient equipment.

Following the ceasefire, more than 300,000 displaced residents have returned from southern Gaza to Gaza City and northern regions, despite what Basal described as an "almost complete absence" of temporary shelter.

Separately, the Hamas-controlled Gaza government’s media office revealed widespread devastation, reporting that over 90 percent of civil infrastructure has been damaged, with roughly 30,000 housing units destroyed. The office urgently called for the blockade on Gaza to be lifted immediately and for increased international humanitarian support.

In a related diplomatic development, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone late Friday to discuss plans for an upcoming summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt’s Red Sea resort. The event, set to be co-hosted by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump, will include discussions on global participation and implementation of the Gaza ceasefire’s first phase, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. The statement did not specify the summit date.

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