Gaza civil defence crews have recovered 19 bodies, most of them women and children, from beneath the rubble of the destroyed Karam residential building in western Gaza City.
The recovery concluded on Saturday after four consecutive days of searching. Crews are now moving to another site in Gaza City, while the shortage of heavy machinery continues to slow efforts across the territory.
At a glance:
- Nineteen bodies were recovered from the Karam building in western Gaza City.
- The search lasted four consecutive days and relied largely on manual labour.
- Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 8,000 people remain missing under rubble across the territory.
- Since the ceasefire began on October 11 last year, the ministry says 804 bodies have been recovered from rubble.
Recovery work remains largely manual
Mohammed Abu Dan, who oversees recovery efforts, said the operation at the Karam building had ended and specialised medics and civil defence crews would continue searching at a new location elsewhere in Gaza City.
Related coverage: Gaza Family Faces Endless Search for Missing Brothers Amid Conflict.
Civil defence officials say teams are working with rudimentary tools and exhausting manual labour because they lack heavy equipment capable of shifting the large concrete slabs left by Israeli strikes.
Thousands remain missing under the rubble
Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 8,000 people remain missing beneath rubble across the territory, making recovery operations a continuing challenge.
The ministry’s latest count records at least 1,254 people killed, 4,121 wounded and 804 bodies recovered from rubble since the ceasefire took hold on October 11 last year. It says the overall death toll since October 2023 is more than 73,300, with more than 174,000 wounded.
More context: At least 300 children killed in Gaza since October truce, UNICEF says.
Recent funeral followed family recovery
The latest recovery follows a mass funeral in Gaza City on Tuesday for 112 people from the Abu Sharia and al-Hasayna families.
Their remains had been recovered from a residential block in the Sabra neighbourhood that was destroyed in an Israeli strike in November 2023.
Also read: Psychological Support and Healing for Gaza Women in Safe Spaces During War.
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