Gaza body recovery efforts

In mid‑July, Gaza’s Civil Defence began a second, 800‑hour phase aimed at locating 1,072 bodies believed to be buried under the rubble of 147 destroyed homes across the central, northern and Gaza governorates. The first phase had cleared debris from 54 buildings and recovered 333 of the 559 targeted bodies, leaving 226 still missing. The operation proceeds with only one excavator, one bulldozer and one truck supplied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and officials have appealed for additional equipment and for Israel to permit its entry.

By early August, rescue teams reported the recovery of 112 bodies from the Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza City, including 40 children, 38 women and seven people with disabilities. An additional 157 bodies are still believed to be buried in the same area. Humanitarian groups note that roughly 7,500 people remain trapped under rubble across Gaza, and the overall death toll has risen above 73,300 since the Israeli offensive began. The continued shortage of heavy machinery, which Israel restricts from entering the Strip, remains a major obstacle to the recovery effort.