Gaza’s 80M Tons of Rubble Bury Hopes of Finding Missing Palestinians

By Staff, Agencies

Nearly 80 million tons of rubble across the Gaza Strip are hindering efforts to locate and document missing people, with thousands of bodies believed to remain buried beneath the debris, Gaza Health Ministry Director General Munir al-Barsh said Thursday.

Al-Barsh said rescue teams urgently need heavy machinery, specialized equipment, and protective gear to safely clear the rubble and recover the bodies. He warned that indiscriminate removal could destroy locations where missing people are believed to be buried, preventing their identification and documentation.

He said the war’s death toll has reached around 73,000, including nearly 21,000 children, while about 174,000 Palestinians have been wounded, warning that the figures are expected to rise as search operations continue.

Meanwhile, Al-Barsh warned of disease outbreaks caused by contaminated water and Gaza’s collapsing infrastructure, saying around 58,000 cases of smallpox have been recorded amid severe shortages of medical resources.

"Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] continue to violate the Gaza ceasefire through artillery fire and shootings across the Strip. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 10 Palestinians were martyred and 25 injured over the past 24 hours.

The ministry said the number of Palestinians martyred since the October 11 ceasefire has reached 1,283, with 4,248 injured and 813 bodies recovered.

Since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the ministry has recorded 73,417 martyrs and 174,360 injured Palestinians.