Gaza Civil Defense recovered +400 bodies, thousands still missing

Shafaq News – Gaza

Palestinian civil defense teams have continued recovery operations across the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the Israeli war, working under severe humanitarian and security constraints, a civil defense official told Shafaq News.

The official said that efforts have intensified following the recent cessation of hostilities, with search and recovery missions expanding despite limited logistical support and damaged infrastructure.

According to the Civil Defense, teams have so far recovered 449 bodies from beneath the rubble in various parts of Gaza. Thousands more are believed to be missing or trapped under collapsed buildings, particularly in Gaza City, Jabalia, and Khan Younis, following large-scale destruction that leveled entire residential neighborhoods.

Mohammad Siam, director of operations and media at the Civil Defense, said rescue crews were deployed in Khan Younis after residents reported signs of victims under debris. “Some bodies were retrieved, but others remain unreachable due to the lack of heavy machinery needed to remove the wreckage,” he said.

Siam added that many affected neighborhoods have been largely abandoned by families of the missing, either because of ongoing dangers or the inability to return amid unstable security conditions.

“Rescue workers are digging through concrete and stone with their bare hands in response to repeated distress calls from residents still waiting for news of their loved ones,” he said.

The latest ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, includes a temporary halt to fighting and a limited exchange of captives, detainees, and bodies between Israel and Hamas. Negotiations for a broader prisoner swap and a more durable truce are continuing amid international efforts to stabilize the situation in Gaza.