According to Gaza’s Civil Defence, around 8,000 people remain buried beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings across the Gaza Strip, even after extensive efforts to recover the dead.
Rescue teams say they are working under extremely challenging conditions with limited resources and heavy machinery, which makes accessing many devastated sites nearly impossible.
Many bodies have decomposed or become too damaged to identify as recovery operations drag on with insufficient equipment and technical support. More than 3,000 people are still officially listed as missing, with no reliable information on whether they are alive, dead or detained.
The ongoing difficulty in retrieving bodies stems from the scale of destruction in Gaza — much of it from long months of intense bombardment — and the shortage of excavation tools.
Civil Defence personnel say they must often prioritise saving survivors over recovering the dead, especially where access is blocked or dangerous.
Humanitarian and health officials warn that the prolonged presence of decomposing remains and rubble poses severe public health risks, including possible outbreaks of disease.
With rubble covering vast parts of the enclave and rescue teams struggling to expand operations, many families continue to search desperately for loved ones beneath the debris.
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