Gaza Strip: About 8,000 bodies are still buried beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings across the Gaza Strip despite ongoing recovery efforts, according to the territory’s Civil Defence.
In a statement on Thursday, February 12, spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said search and rescue teams continue to operate in extremely difficult conditions with limited resources, hampering access to many disaster sites, the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reported.
He said the lack of heavy equipment and technical capabilities remains a major obstacle to retrieving victims.
Basal said more than 3,000 people are still missing, with no confirmed information about whether they are alive, killed or detained. He also noted that hundreds of bodies had decomposed or disappeared during the long search process due to delays in removing debris.
Also Read
Netanyahu’s 1990 letter sparks Palestinians’ organ harvesting debate
The situation has been worsened by safety risks and logistical constraints. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Gaza is buried under at least 61 million tonnes of rubble, much of it potentially hazardous. The organisation warned that around 15 percent of the rubble could pose a high risk of contamination from asbestos, industrial waste or heavy metals if not handled carefully.
UNDP said nearly two-thirds of the destruction occurred during the first five months of the conflict, with further damage continuing in the months leading up to the current ceasefire.
Also Read
Thousands of Palestinians ‘evaporated’ by Israeli weapons in Gaza
The agency also estimated that the rubble removal process could take up to seven years and would require significant funding as part of broader reconstruction efforts.
On Monday, February 9, an investigation by Al Jazeera alleged in Gaza, leaving more than 2,800 cases in which bodies were described as having been “evaporated”.
Since October 7, 2023, more than 72,000 people have been killed, while nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to available assessments.
Correction:
Headline was corrected
February 14, 2026 at 12:45 PM
