DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Each day brings an influx of bodies to morgues across the Gaza Strip, often numbering in the dozens. These remains, unearthed from 15 months of devastation and grim battle zones, bring some closure to families who have been left in anguish by the ongoing conflict.
Amid a recent ceasefire, more victims have been discovered, representing the “missing” whose names and faces haunt those still searching for their loved ones. The Gaza Health Ministry has consistently emphasized in its daily reports that a portion of the deceased remains inaccessible, buried under rubble or scattered in the streets.
As the ceasefire began on Sunday, families throughout the territory eagerly sought to reconnect with their loved ones—both living and deceased. Many Palestinians flocked to the sites of their former homes, anxiously observing as civil defense teams worked tirelessly to sift through the debris in search of lost relatives. Daily records indicate that between 50 to 120 bodies have been unearthed since the truce took effect.
“Since the truce began, we have been on a desperate search,” recounted Samira Alshaar, a 58-year-old mother who returned to her home in Rafah after a nine-month absence due to the conflict. She shared her heart-wrenching story of losing her son, Ibrahim Qeshta, to an airstrike as he attempted to rescue blankets on the day of the attack.
Participating in the search, her younger son, Abdullah Qeshta, dug through the remnants of their house with only his hands, fueled by emotional turmoil and sheer determination. Despite the challenges, Abdullah and the civil defense workers took only brief breaks for prayers and sleep, their focus unwavering.
Alshaar expressed fear that hope was slipping away. But, as they worked, a discovery was made: torn fragments of Ibrahim’s navy blue pajamas, remnants from the frantic moments leading to his death. Abdullah’s voice quivered as he recognized his brother’s belongings. “That’s my brother’s hair, I’m certain it is him,” he exclaimed, feeling a mix of relief and grief as they uncovered what remained of Ibrahim.
According to Zaher al-Wahidi, a health official in Gaza, around 8,000 people are currently classified as missing, based on family reports about their loved ones. This estimate has grown increasingly difficult to substantiate over the year and a half since Hamas initiated attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The recorded death toll stands at over 47,000, as released by the Health Ministry. However, experts and human rights organizations agree that this number likely underrepresents the reality, particularly given the context of civilians being caught amidst the conflict. The high casualty rates are attributed by Israel to Hamas’s tactics of operating in densely populated areas.
The term “missing” encompasses those like Ibrahim, decaying under debris or exposed to the elements for long periods. In northern Gaza, constant bombardments have impeded rescue efforts, resulting in reports of bodies lying in the streets, abandoned.
Fortunately, many families that have accepted the loss of their loved ones have started visiting the forensic facilities in Gaza now that the ceasefire is in place. At the Rafah forensics center this week, workers wrapped unidentified bodies in white plastic bags, marking them in hopes that identification will one day be possible.
Dr. Ahmed Zuhair, who oversees the area’s forensic medicine, highlighted the grim realities faced by those in Gaza, stating the urgent need for international support to retrieve and identify the remains. Investigators worked diligently, each bag marked with names when known or identified by numbers if not, hoping for a system eventually capable of facilitating family reunions.
Recent rains and scavenging by animals have uncovered some remains, but many bodies have required extensive manual excavation efforts, often taking hours or days, with only basic tools at their disposal. Al-Wahidi emphasized the necessity of additional heavy machinery and expert help to recover missing individuals efficiently.
Each day of the ceasefire, hopeful yet despairing individuals like Mohammad Deifallah visit the forensics center, searching for their loved ones. Despite looking through multiple body bags and confronting overwhelming emotions, he has yet to find his brother, who disappeared 50 days prior amid the chaos.
“I don’t know where to go. I checked all these bodies,” Deifallah murmured, despair evident in his voice. “Nothing resembles him. Nothing is even recognizable.”
