GAZA — Despite ongoing search and recovery efforts. approximately 8,000 bodies remain trapped beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings across various parts of the territory, Civil Defence spokesman in the Gaza Strip claimed.
In press statements issued on Thursday, Mahmoud Basal Basal explained that Civil Defence crews continue to operate under extremely difficult conditions and with limited resources, hindering access to many devastated sites.
He added that more than 3,000 people are still listed as missing, with no confirmed information about their fate, whether they are alive, have been killed, or have been detained, as reported by local media.
He further noted that hundreds of bodies have decomposed or become unrecognisable during recovery operations due to the prolonged time period and the difficulty of removing debris amid severe shortages of heavy machinery and necessary technical equipment.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Gaza is buried under at least 61 million tonnes of rubble, much of it potentially hazardous. The organisation warned that around 15 per cent of the rubble could pose a high risk of contamination from asbestos, industrial waste or heavy metals if not handled carefully.
The agency said nearly two-thirds of the destruction occurred during the first five months of the conflict, with further damage continuing in the months leading up to the current ceasefire.
The rubble removal process could take up to seven years and would require significant funding as part of broader reconstruction efforts, said UNDP.
