Europe Asia News

According to CCTV, Civil Defense teams in the Gaza Strip continue search and recovery operations to reach the bodies of hundreds of people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings.

However, the lack of heavy machinery and technical equipment is seriously hampering the progress of the operations.

In the Sabra neighborhood, one of the areas hardest hit by Israeli attacks on Gaza, dozens of homes have been completely destroyed, leaving many people trapped beneath the rubble.

The Abu Sharia family said they had lost more than 200 relatives, most of whom are still believed to be under the debris.

Family member Ibrahim Abu Sharia said: "Every family here is experiencing the same pain. For nearly three years we have come here every day to remember our loved ones. Even when remains are recovered, it is often impossible to determine whose they are."

Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said that almost every destroyed building contains victims beneath the rubble and that the shortage of heavy equipment has greatly slowed the operations. "At the moment we have only one excavator. We urgently need more heavy machinery to clear the rubble and recover the bodies," he said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it has been providing fuel and equipment to support the operations. ICRC spokesperson in Gaza Amani Al Naouq stressed that thousands of families have been waiting for years to find their missing relatives.

Al Naouq said supporting Civil Defense teams is crucial so that families can bury their loved ones and complete the mourning process.

According to United Nations data, more than 90 percent of homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.

The UN also reported that the number of Palestinians killed in the region has exceeded 73,000, while Palestinian human rights organizations estimate that more than 10,000 people remain missing beneath the rubble.