Gaza Civil Defense Initiates Campaign to Recover Victims from Rubble

(MENAFN) Palestinian civil defense teams in Gaza have initiated a campaign to recover the bodies of Palestinians killed during Israel’s war, many of whom remain trapped under rubble in northern Gaza. The effort, called “Dignifying the Martyrs,” began Sunday in Beit Lahia, focusing on the destroyed home of the Abu Nasr family. The five-story building was hit in an Israeli airstrike on Oct. 29, 2024, while sheltering around 200 family members and displaced people.

Mohammed Tamous, a civil defense officer, said the campaign marks “the start of broader efforts to recover victims from multiple sites across northern Gaza,” with the first phase targeting homes believed to contain large numbers of bodies. He added that thousands of Palestinians remain buried under debris, and that civil defense crews are struggling due to a shortage of heavy machinery. One bulldozer being used was provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), but Tamous called on humanitarian organizations to supply additional equipment.

“We are standing today on the rubble of the Abu Nasr family home, and dozens of bodies are still inside,” Tamous said. Survivor Aya Abu Nasr recounted that her extended family had sought refuge in the building as Israeli attacks intensified, with about 200 people inside when the strike occurred.

Official estimates indicate that around 9,500 Palestinians remain missing under rubble in Gaza, highlighting the urgent need for large-scale recovery operations amid ongoing devastation.

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