Gaza civil defence teams have recovered the remains of 55 Palestinians from the rubble of the Malka family home in Gaza City, nearly three years after an Israeli air strike destroyed the residential building.
The operation concluded on Saturday in the Zeitoun neighbourhood after rescue teams searched the site for more than 72 hours. The victims had been sheltering in the home after being displaced from their own houses, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.
A prolonged recovery under the rubble
Colonel Muhammad Abu Dan, who supervised the rescue teams, said the search for the Malka family victims had continued for more than 72 hours. The remains were found beneath the ruins of the family’s residential building, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The recovery is part of a wider effort to retrieve people killed and buried beneath destroyed buildings. Civil defence operations across Gaza have been slowed by a shortage of heavy machinery needed to move broken concrete, leaving teams reliant largely on manual work.
Key points
- The building was struck on November 19, 2023.
- Gaza’s civil defence says it had been searching for more than 60 bodies linked to the Malka family.
- A joint funeral procession is expected next weekend, according to the report.
More people remain unaccounted for
Gaza’s Ministry of Health, United Nations agencies and aid organisations estimate that between 10,000 and 14,000 people remain missing under rubble across the territory. The UN Satellite Centre has estimated that 82 percent of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged during the war.
The Health Ministry said hospitals had received 17 bodies and 27 injured people over the previous 48 hours. The reported fatalities included five newly killed people, one person who died from earlier wounds and 11 bodies recovered from beneath debris. It said other victims remained trapped under rubble or in the streets because ambulance and civil defence teams could not reach them. For additional context, see “Israel’s defence minister says Trump support is sought for Gaza plan”.
Statements over Gaza’s future
The recovery operation followed competing statements about whether Palestinians would be forced to leave Gaza. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said there was no plan by Israel or the United States to forcibly displace Palestinians from the territory.
The comments came after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said there was no lasting solution without migration, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir proposed what he called voluntary emigration. Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least three Palestinians were injured in Israeli attacks on Saturday, including two near the al-Khalidi area north of Gaza City and one in al-Sudaniyya, northwest of Gaza City.
What happens next
A joint funeral procession for the recovered victims is expected to take place next weekend.
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