Gaza Herald – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said thousands of Palestinians in Gaza still have no information about the fate or location of relatives whose bodies remain buried under collapsed homes that families are unable to reach.
The organization noted that months after the bombardment, many families continue to search on foot, using nothing but their hands and basic tools, as Israel refuses to allow the entry of heavy machinery needed to lift the massive debris. Communication blackouts and the destruction of hospitals and civil registries have deepened the uncertainty and anguish.
Humanitarian agencies warn that enforced disappearances and withholding information about the missing are grave violations of international law, and remain part of Israel’s broader genocidal campaign that has stripped Palestinians of even the basic right to recover and bury their victims.
While thousands of Palestinian families wait helplessly for machinery to retrieve the remains of their loved ones, Israel recently brought in heavy machinery and specialized teams to recover the bodies of Israeli captives. Yet the same heavy machinery is still banned from entering Gaza’s civilian neighborhoods, leaving nearly 10,000 Palestinians trapped under the rubble with no rescue, no excavation, and no international pressure compelling Israel to allow it.
