Gaza Civil Defense recovers remains of 21 Palestinians from destroyed homes

GAZA — Gaza Civil Defense teams recovered the remains of 21 Palestinians on Saturday from beneath two homes destroyed during Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip and began searching for 40 others believed buried under the rubble of a third house, a spokesperson said.Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said rescue teams recovered the remains of 12 Palestinians from beneath the Batniji family home near the Asqula area in eastern Gaza City after completing search operations at the site.Crews also recovered the remains of nine Palestinians from the Gharbiyah family home in the Katiba area of western Gaza City, he said.Basal said teams later moved to the Al-Maghribi family home in the Zeitoun neighborhood of eastern Gaza City after receiving reports that the remains of around 40 Palestinians were buried beneath the rubble.He warned that recovery operations continue to face severe challenges because of acute shortages of heavy machinery, equipment, logistical supplies and fuel.The shortages have significantly slowed search operations and limited crews’ ability to reach the large number of destroyed buildings across the enclave, Basal said, calling on the international community to provide the necessary equipment.The operations are part of the second phase of a Civil Defense project launched on July 19 to recover bodies from beneath destroyed buildings.At the launch of the second phase, Basal said teams planned to search 147 destroyed homes across Gaza City, North Gaza and central Gaza, where the remains of an estimated 1,072 Palestinians are believed to be buried.The first phase, launched in November 2025, recovered 333 bodies and human remains from 54 destroyed homes and buildings. Civil Defense officials said limited resources prevented teams from reaching another 226 bodies trapped beneath the debris.Around 9,500 Palestinians have been reported missing since the start of the war, including many believed to remain beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Palestinian authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed and over 174,000 injured in Gaza since then.