Gaza families still unable to bury dead six months into 'ceasefire'

Trapped Under Rubble: Gaza Families Still Waiting for Loved Ones

Approximately 10,000 Palestinians remain missing, believed to be buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings during Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which began in October 2023.

Despite the so-called 'ceasefire' signed on October 10 last year, thousands of families are still unable to bury their loved ones, as the conflict continues to rage on.

The United Nations reports that Israeli bombardment has generated over 61 million tonnes of rubble in the besieged Gaza Strip, leaving entire communities entombed.

Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary spoke to a Palestinian father in Bureij refugee camp, who has been living beside the ruins of his home, where the bodies of his four children remain trapped.

Abu Mohammed, the father, has been trying to retrieve his children for three years, but the massive concrete slabs have made it impossible, even with the help of an excavator.

He has repeatedly called civil defence teams for assistance, but no one has come to help him.

The ceasefire was supposed to allow heavy machinery into Gaza to begin recovery efforts and reunite families, but months later, that has not happened.

According to Gaza's civil defence spokesperson, Mahmoud Basal, nothing has entered Gaza except limited equipment brought in for Egyptian committees and Red Crescent's team to retrieve Israeli captives.

Across Gaza, thousands remain buried, with at least 50 bodies still trapped beneath the rubble in just one apartment block in Bureij.

Conditions on the ground have barely shifted, with families continuing to wait as bodies are not yet recovered, while Israeli attacks persist.

Israeli forces shot and killed a young female student on Thursday while she attended a class in a tent in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, according to health and education officials.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel still occupies more than half of the Gaza Strip, has levelled most buildings in these areas, and forced residents out.

Since the ceasefire took effect, at least 738 people have been killed and 2,036 wounded, with authorities recovering 759 bodies from the rubble.

Israel's genocide in Gaza has killed more than 72,317 Palestinians and wounded at least 172,158 others.