45 bodies found in rubble of one building in Gaza

Most of Gaza has been reduced to rubble by Israeli attacks (file photo)

A ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since the second week of last October. Although the conflict has eased somewhat under the US-brokered ceasefire, the Gaza Strip is still being hit by Israeli attacks almost every day. Meanwhile, after Israeli forces withdrew from some areas, bodies of people buried under rubble are being recovered in Gaza City. The Palestinian Civil Defense has recently recovered at least 45 bodies from the rubble of a building in the Palestinian territory.

Al Jazeera reports that the horrific consequences of this genocidal aggression are coming to the fore again after Israeli forces withdrew from some areas in Gaza City. Palestinian Civil Defense workers recovered at least 45 bodies from the rubble of a building in Gaza on Monday. The building had long been destroyed by Israeli strikes.

“If we had had large-scale excavation equipment, the rescue work could have been done much faster,” said Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for the Gaza Civil Defense. “If we had had large-scale excavation equipment, the rescue work could have been done much faster. Under the current circumstances, it could take up to three years to complete the rescue work,” said Abu Muhammad Salem, a relative of a family buried under the rubble. “I want only one thing: to recover the last body. Then everyone can be buried in the Deir al-Balah cemetery, and we will know where they are.”

Meanwhile, despite the fragile ceasefire, the suffering of the people in Gaza has not eased. Heavy rains and strong winds caused by a new low pressure have submerged thousands of tents of displaced Palestinians, and even Gaza’s largest hospital has been flooded. The disaster has deepened the humanitarian crisis. According to Anadolu Agency, rainwater entered various parts of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Water entered the hospital's reception and emergency departments, disrupting medical services.

Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal warned that thousands of houses partially destroyed by the Israeli massacre could collapse at any moment due to the rain and strong winds. "These houses pose a serious risk to the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians because there is no other place for these Palestinians to take refuge. We have repeatedly warned the world, but to no avail," he told Anadolu Agency.

At least 14 people were killed in Gaza last week when Storm Byron hit the area. More than 27,000 displaced people's tents were submerged, swept away by currents or torn apart by strong winds. At the same time, 13 buildings collapsed across Gaza. According to the Civil Defense, about 250,000 families are currently living in camps for displaced people in Gaza. They are suffering from extreme hardship amid the cold weather and waterlogging inside their flimsy tents.

Although the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, the living conditions in Gaza have not improved. This is because Israel still imposes strict restrictions on the entry of aid trucks. Since October 2023, more than 70,600 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, most of whom are women and children. More than 171,100 people have been injured. Despite the ceasefire, the attacks continue.