Gaza’s civil defence agency has provided an update on the besieged Strip, revealing that more than 10,000 bodies remain buried under the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings, with recovery operations ongoing amid the ceasefire.
The rescuers said these casualties have not yet been included in the official death toll of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Over the course of the 15-month war, 99 of its rescuers were killed in Israeli attacks, with 319 others injured, including dozens left with permanent disabilities, the agency reported. It also said 27 members have been detained by Israeli forces, and their fate remains unknown.
The civil defence teams have rescued more than 97,000 injured Palestinians since 7 October 2023. The agency also stated that around 2,840 bodies were “evaporated without a trace” by Israeli weapons that generated extreme temperatures of up to 9,000 degrees Celsius (16,000 Fahrenheit).
More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 111,7000 others injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, according to local health authorities.
In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
