Gaza’s Missing: Thousands Feared Buried Beneath Rubble

Gaza’s Missing: War, Rubble and Restricted Access Hamper Search for Thousands

Thousands of Palestinians remain missing in Gaza as damaged buildings, limited rescue equipment, unexploded weapons and restricted access complicate efforts to recover and identify the dead.

Gaza’s Missing: Families Still Searching for Answers

Thousands of Palestinians remain missing in the Gaza Strip, with many believed to be buried beneath the rubble of buildings destroyed during the war between Israel and Hamas.

According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, approximately 8,000 people are reported missing. Rescue teams face significant challenges as they attempt to search damaged buildings, recover human remains and help families discover what happened to their loved ones.

For many families, the uncertainty has become another painful consequence of the conflict. Relatives are left waiting for information, unable to confirm whether missing family members are alive or dead or where their remains might be located.

The situation also raises concerns about the preservation of evidence, the treatment of human remains and the ability of families to bury their loved ones with dignity.

A Family Shattered by an Israeli Strike

Mohammad Yousef Shalayel, a resident of northern Gaza, said he lost numerous relatives when an Israeli strike destroyed a family home in Jabalya on November 1, 2024.

Shalayel had spent time with his wife and children at his in-laws’ home after visiting relatives who had been displaced to his parents’ house nearby.

The following morning, he returned to find that the building had collapsed, trapping the people inside beneath the rubble.

Among those he feared losing were his elderly mother, two brothers, a sister and several other relatives, including children.

Speaking to CNN, Shalayel described the devastating experience of searching through the remains of the destroyed home.

Nearly two years later, he says many of his relatives remain unaccounted for. His ability to return to the area and continue searching has also been affected by military control and access restrictions in parts of the territory.

His experience reflects the anguish of families across Gaza who continue to search for missing relatives long after attacks have destroyed their homes.

Thousands Believed to Be Buried Beneath the Rubble

The scale of destruction throughout Gaza has made recovery operations exceptionally difficult.

Gaza’s Civil Defense estimates that around 8,000 people remain missing, many of whom are believed to be beneath collapsed buildings.

The United Nations previously estimated that the conflict had generated approximately 61 million tonnes of rubble.

Clearing such enormous quantities of debris requires heavy machinery, trained personnel, fuel and safe access to affected areas. However, rescue workers say their resources remain far below what is needed.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has also warned that time is critical. As buildings are cleared and debris is moved, information that could help identify missing people or establish what happened during an attack may be lost.

International humanitarian law requires parties to an armed conflict to take appropriate steps to search for and recover the dead, handle human remains respectfully and help establish the fate of missing people.

How the ‘Yellow Line’ Is Affecting Search Operations

Access restrictions have created further obstacles for families and rescue workers.

Under the ceasefire arrangements described in reports about the conflict, Israeli forces withdrew to positions associated with a demarcation zone known as the “yellow line.”

Palestinian residents and aid workers have said that restricted access to areas near or beyond the line has prevented some families from searching locations where relatives may be buried.

Residents in Jabalya have also reported the demolition of buildings and the removal of rubble in areas under Israeli military control.

These activities have raised concerns among human rights advocates about whether human remains and evidence of possible violations of international law are being properly protected.

In September, United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk warned about rubble-clearing operations that could disregard the remains of people killed in the conflict. He also called for international investigators to have access to Gaza.

The preservation of evidence is particularly important when allegations of war crimes are being investigated. However, determining what happened in individual incidents requires reliable evidence and independent examination.

Shortage of Heavy Equipment Slows Recovery

In areas where Palestinian rescue teams can operate, Civil Defense workers continue searching damaged buildings for missing people.

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, said teams had recovered approximately 1,000 bodies from rubble since October of the previous year.

Despite these efforts, the shortage of heavy machinery has severely limited their ability to work efficiently.

According to Basal, Gaza City has only one excavator available for these operations, while another is operating in central Gaza.

Palestinian officials have requested additional equipment, including 10 excavators, 10 bulldozers and 30 trucks, to accelerate the recovery process.

The Israeli agency responsible for facilitating humanitarian assistance into Gaza, COGAT, has said that Israel has permitted certain essential supplies and equipment to enter the territory.

However, according to reporting cited in the original account, Israeli authorities have continued to restrict the entry of heavy machinery and reconstruction materials, linking broader access to conditions concerning Hamas's disarmament.

The restrictions have contributed to continuing disagreements over humanitarian access, reconstruction and the future of Gaza.

Unexploded Weapons Make Rescue Work Dangerous

Even when rescue workers can reach damaged buildings, the search remains dangerous.

Unexploded weapons and other remnants of attacks may remain buried beneath the debris, placing workers and nearby residents at risk.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has described the painstaking nature of some recovery operations, with workers removing rubble gradually to avoid further harm and preserve possible evidence.

The condition of recovered remains also creates difficulties for identification.

Gaza Civil Defense officials have reported cases in which remains were exposed to the elements and scavenging animals before recovery teams could reach them.

For families, the discovery of human remains does not always bring certainty. In some cases, relatives cannot establish whether the remains belong to a missing family member.

Without reliable identification, the possibility of a proper burial and the certainty that loved ones have been found may remain out of reach.

Limited Forensic Facilities Complicate Identification

Identifying missing people is another major challenge.

Dr Ahmad Dheir, a forensic specialist working in Gaza, has described the limited capacity available to examine and identify human remains.

According to the account, Gaza lacks functioning DNA-testing facilities capable of supporting the scale of identification required.

The destruction and disruption of medical infrastructure, shortages of supplies, limited refrigeration and repeated power cuts have made the situation more difficult.

When unidentified remains reach hospitals, staff may have limited time and resources to preserve samples properly.

In the absence of DNA testing, health workers may rely on other methods, including available laboratory tests and information provided by families. However, these methods cannot always establish a person's identity with certainty.

As a result, many families remain unable to confirm whether the remains of their relatives have been recovered.

Experts and humanitarian organisations have stressed the importance of preserving identifying information, including personal belongings, medical records and other evidence that may help establish identities in the future.

Families Caught Between Hope and Grief

For relatives of missing people, the uncertainty can cause profound emotional suffering.

Suha al-Sharif told CNN that her son, Jihad, had been a source of strength and support for her.

She said he was shot and killed in November 2023 while the family was being displaced from Gaza City. His body was reportedly taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, but the family was later forced to flee as the fighting intensified.

Nearly three years later, she said she still did not know where his body was.

Her experience illustrates the pain of losing a family member without being able to recover the remains or carry out a burial.

Humanitarian workers have described the psychological effects of this uncertainty as a form of ambiguous loss—a situation in which someone is missing and loved ones cannot obtain clear confirmation of their fate.

People experiencing this kind of loss may struggle with anxiety, sadness, guilt and difficulties concentrating. The absence of definite answers can make grieving especially challenging.

Israa Alqahwaji, a mental health programme coordinator with Medical Aid for Palestinians, said the desire to find missing relatives reflects a fundamental human need for truth and certainty.

Families may preserve photographs, clothing and other belongings as a way of maintaining their connection to those who are missing.

For many, continuing daily life does not mean forgetting their loved ones. Instead, they continue to hope for information that may finally bring clarity.

A Cemetery for Gaza’s Unidentified Dead

In Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, a cemetery has become a resting place for hundreds of people whose identities remain unknown.

According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, approximately 1,000 unidentified people have been buried there.

Authorities and humanitarian organisations have reportedly been working to develop a digital information-sharing system to help manage records of unidentified remains and unnamed graves.

Serial numbers assigned to graves could help preserve information and support future identification if more advanced forensic facilities become available.

Although such a system cannot immediately resolve the families’ uncertainty, maintaining accurate records may give relatives a chance of identifying loved ones in the future.

The initiative also highlights the importance of documenting the identities and circumstances of people who die during armed conflicts.

Humanitarian experts say every effort should be made to treat the dead respectfully, preserve identifying information and provide families with reliable answers whenever possible.

Calls for Greater Humanitarian Access

The search for Gaza’s missing remains closely connected to wider questions about humanitarian access, reconstruction and accountability.

Rescue teams need heavy machinery, fuel, protective equipment and trained personnel. Forensic specialists need functioning laboratories, electricity, refrigeration and secure systems for recording evidence.

Families also need access to areas where their relatives may have been killed or buried.

Human rights advocates have called for the protection of human remains and the preservation of potential evidence relating to alleged violations of international law.

At the same time, the continuing destruction and limited access to parts of Gaza make it difficult to determine the fate of thousands of missing people.

The full scale of the loss may remain unknown until rescue teams can conduct more comprehensive searches and forensic specialists have the resources required to identify recovered remains.

Conclusion: The Search for Answers Continues

For thousands of Palestinian families, the war has left questions that remain unanswered.

People continue to search for missing parents, children, siblings and other relatives while rescue workers struggle with destroyed buildings, dangerous debris and shortages of equipment.

The recovery and identification of the dead are not only humanitarian tasks; they are also matters of dignity, family rights and the preservation of evidence.

Until rescue teams can safely reach affected areas and obtain the resources needed to conduct thorough searches, many families may remain trapped between hope and grief.

For relatives such as Mohammad Yousef Shalayel and Suha al-Sharif, finding their loved ones would mean more than recovering human remains. It would offer the chance to establish the truth, mourn with certainty and provide the dead with a dignified burial.