DaysofPal- In a scene that underscores the scale of the humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian man has recovered the remains of dozens of his family members from beneath the rubble of his destroyed home—29 months after they were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Mahmoud Khalla spent long hours digging through layers of collapsed concrete and twisted metal using only basic hand tools, in the absence of heavy machinery or professional rescue teams. His home in northern Gaza was struck on December 21, 2023, leaving many victims trapped under the debris.
“At the time of the bombing, around 39 people were killed inside the house,” Khalla told local media. “My parents, my wife, my children, my brothers and their families, as well as my uncles and their families.”
He explained that only 12 bodies could be recovered and buried on the day of the strike due to the extent of destruction and the lack of equipment. The rest remained under the rubble for more than two years.
“For 29 months, we waited for machinery to come and remove the debris, but nothing arrived,” he said. “So I decided, with the help of neighbors, to dig with simple tools—hammers, shovels, and light equipment—and break through the four collapsed floors of the house.”
Khalla described the process as emotionally devastating.
“With every strike, I feel like my heart is being torn out,” he said. “I feel closer to my children and my family, but I cannot comprehend that I will hold them one last time as bones without features.”
During the excavation, he managed to recover the body of one of his uncles, along with fragments of bones believed to belong to children who could not be identified and were registered as unknown.
The ordeal, he said, forced him to relive the trauma of the attack as if it had just happened. “The pain today may be even greater than it was at the moment of the bombing,” he added.
Khalla’s story reflects the broader suffering of hundreds of families across Gaza, where thousands of victims remain buried under destroyed buildings. According to local estimates, around 8,000 bodies are still trapped beneath rubble due to widespread devastation and a severe shortage of equipment, fuel, and rescue capabilities.
Humanitarian organizations have warned of serious health and environmental risks associated with decomposing bodies left under debris for extended periods, in addition to the profound psychological toll on families unable to recover and bury their loved ones.
The ongoing crisis highlights the challenges facing emergency and civil defense teams in Gaza, which continue to struggle with limited resources amid the scale of destruction.
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