Gaza city: Gaza Civil Defense on Saturday reported that its teams have successfully recovered the remains of 19 Palestinians from beneath the rubble of a devastated residential building in Gaza City following a four-day search operation.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Civil Defense declared the completion of search and recovery efforts at the Karam residential building located on al-Sinaa Street in western Gaza City. This building had been destroyed during an Israeli military strike amid the ongoing war on Gaza, trapping the bodies of multiple Palestinians underneath the debris.
Mohammad Abu Dan, who serves as the executive supervisor of the Civil Defense's body recovery project, stated that the teams have finalized their operations at this specific site and are now transitioning to another location within Gaza City to commence new search and recovery missions. The teams are encountering significant challenges due to the extensive destruction and a notable shortage of heavy equipment required for effective search and recovery operations.
This effort is part of the second stage of the Civil Defense's body recovery project, which was initiated on July 19. At the commencement of this project, Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal outlined that this phase would incorporate 800 working hours dedicated to searching for an estimated 1,072 bodies believed to be trapped under the rubble of 147 destroyed homes spread across Gaza, North Gaza, and central Gaza governorates. Basal highlighted the limited resources available, which include one excavator, one bulldozer, and one truck, with additional support provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
During the first phase of the project, launched in November 2025, teams managed to recover 333 bodies and remains from beneath 54 destroyed homes and buildings. However, approximately 226 bodies remain unrecovered due to the inadequacy of available equipment.
In October 2025, the Gaza Government Media Office reported that around 9,500 Palestinians had been declared missing since the onset of the war, with many believed to be buried under collapsed structures while others remain unaccounted for. The initial phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, effective from October 10, 2025, stipulated that Israel would permit the entry of essential heavy equipment for recovery operations. However, Gaza authorities and Palestinian factions have expressed concerns that Israel has not fulfilled this commitment.
The ceasefire follows two years of intense Israeli military actions in Gaza, which, according to Palestinian authorities, resulted in the deaths of over 73,000 Palestinians, injuries to more than 174,000, and the destruction of approximately 90% of the enclave's civilian infrastructure. The United Nations has estimated the reconstruction costs to be around $70 billion.