Gaza buries remains of 70 Palestinians after nearly 3 years under rubble

Families bid farewell by candlelight to the remains of 70 Palestinians recovered from beneath the rubble of homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza before burying them in al-Falouja Cemetery. The civil defense estimates that more than 8,000 people remain under the rubble.

A farewell ceremony was held in the al-Saftawi area north of Gaza City for 70 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes after specialist teams managed to recover their remains from beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings and homes nearly three years after their deaths.

The recovery operations covered Jabalia refugee camp, including the al-Hakoura area and the vicinity of schools, as well as several areas in Beit Lahia. The victims included members of the Abu Warda, Nabhan, al-Yazji, Masoud and al-Dibs families, Palestine Online reported. The remains were scheduled to be buried Sunday in al-Falouja Cemetery.

The footage shows the victims' relatives gathered around bodies wrapped in the Palestinian flag and olive branches. Candles were lit beside them, while photographs and names were placed on the bodies and mothers wept during the final farewell.

“My daughter died before she could drink water”

Mahmoud Mohammed Nabhan, who lost 16 relatives in an Israeli airstrike on his home in 2023, said civil defense efforts enabled the recovery of the remains of 8 people and some body parts from beneath the rubble of the house. He added that recovering them “reopened old wounds” but brought the family some relief because they would finally be able to bury them, Anadolu Agency reported.

Wael al-Dibs, who also lost his home and 16 relatives, said his wife's remains had been recovered, but the teams were unable to reach his 3-year-old daughter. He recounted that the last thing the child said was, “I want water,” before her voice fell silent, adding: “My daughter died before she could drink water. We did not find her under the rubble, and we do not know what happened to her.”

فلسطينية تنحني فوق جثمان ملفوف بالعلم الفلسطيني خلال مراسم الوداع في غزة

Al-Dibs said his wife, mother, sisters and their children were among those he lost. “We brought them out from under the rubble and felt some relief, but this is an immense pain and a wound that will never heal,” he said, calling on the world to end the suffering of those who “wake up and do not find their loved ones beside them.”

Thousands remain under the rubble

The Palestinian civil defense estimates that more than 8,000 people remain under the rubble of destroyed buildings, while the total number of missing people in the Gaza Strip is estimated at more than 10,000. Search operations are being carried out with rudimentary equipment and often by hand, as Israel does not allow the heavy machinery needed to remove the rubble to enter.

According to the latest data from Gaza's Health Ministry, 1,643 Palestinians have been killed and 5,964 others injured in Israeli violations since the ceasefire took effect, while 850 bodies have been recovered from beneath the rubble. The death toll since October 2023 has exceeded 74,000, in addition to more than 176,000 wounded.

Video: TRT News. Photos: Anadolu Agency

Gaza buries remains of 70 Palestinians after nearly 3 years under rubble