Exhumation of the remains of 55 Palestinians killed by Israel in a strike on Gaza two years ago - Sarmad

The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip announced on Saturday the recovery of 55 bodies and remains of Palestinian victims who had been missing under the rubble of a building in the Al-Zaytun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, which was bombed by Israel two years ago. The agency called for the provision of necessary equipment and tools to recover thousands of bodies and remains from beneath the rubble.

Major General Muhammad Abu Dan, supervisor of the project to recover victims’ bodies, said during a press conference in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of the Strip that 55 bodies had been recovered among 73 people who had sought shelter in a residential building belonging to the Malaka family to protect themselves from Israeli airstrikes, before the building was targeted by an Israeli air strike about two years ago. He noted that the victims are scheduled to be buried in a single funeral next week.

He explained that Civil Defense teams face significant challenges in recovery operations due to the lack of heavy machinery and rescue equipment, urging international and humanitarian organizations to intensify their efforts to urgently provide heavy equipment and modern trucks, enabling teams to recover as many of the thousands of missing bodies and remains buried under destroyed buildings as possible.