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Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip announced that more than 10,000 Palestinians are still missing since the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Strip on October 7, 2023.

Gaza Civil Defense spokesman, Mahmoud Basal, said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Saturday that the teams are awaiting the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from the sites agreed upon under the ceasefire agreement, to begin the tasks of recovering the bodies of the martyrs and searching for the missing.

Basal explained that thousands of citizens have been missing under the rubble and destroyed homes since the start of the aggression, and that reaching them was impossible due to the presence of the occupation forces or because the bodies were trapped under the towers and buildings that were demolished. He added that the Civil Defense lacks the heavy equipment needed to lift the rubble, which will make field teams face major challenges in recovering or identifying the remains as a result of the decomposition of the remains over time.

The spokesman pointed out that on the first day of the army’s withdrawal from various areas of the Gaza Strip, more than 140 bodies were recovered, including more than 60 in Gaza City, and a large number are still under the rubble. Teams also continue to receive reports of remains under the rubble, without being able to recover them due to a lack of equipment.

According to Basal, within one day of the ceasefire, civil defense, municipal and service teams carried out more than 850 rescue and relief operations, including recovering bodies, removing rubble, and securing devastated areas. He confirmed that the civil defense headquarters in the areas evacuated by the army were completely destroyed, accusing the occupation of committing horrific crimes that targeted humanitarian and service crews. More than 1,670 medical personnel, 140 members of the Civil Defense, and more than 1,000 members of the Civil Defense and Civil Police were martyred during rescue operations, providing assistance, or performing duty. Hundreds of municipal employees and humanitarian workers were also martyred.

Basal highlighted major humanitarian and relief challenges in Gaza with the collapse of the health infrastructure and the destruction of hospitals, medical facilities, municipal buildings, and civil defense and rescue centers, calling on the international community and relevant organizations to take action to secure aid, medical supplies, and rescue and emergency equipment.

The ceasefire agreement between the Hamas movement and the Israeli entity, which was reached in Sharm El-Sheikh, entered into force on Friday afternoon, after the Israeli government approved it and the beginning of the military withdrawal from the populated areas in the Gaza Strip. The return of displaced people to northern Gaza also began as part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the war on Gaza.

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