Gaza Civil Defense: 8,000 Missing Under Rubble Amidst Devastation

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the scale of devastation in Gaza, coupled with an acute shortage of heavy machinery and equipment, presents the primary obstacle to search and rescue operations aimed at recovering victims from beneath the rubble. Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Gaza Civil Defense, issued a stark warning regarding the extensive destruction and the difficulties faced by rescue teams.

Basal emphasized that if the necessary resources were made available, the process of identifying and recovering all bodies could potentially take up to eight years. He further noted that rescue teams are still unable to access many affected areas due to security risks on the battlefield and the limitations of available equipment.

The spokesperson also highlighted that the intensity of fires and extremely high temperatures in certain areas have damaged identifying features of bodies, making identification processes more challenging. Since the commencement of the conflict in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, more than 74,250 martyrs have been transferred to hospitals. An additional 9,500 individuals remain missing, with many presumed martyred and still trapped under debris, their fates uncertain.