A year has passed, yet thousands of Palestinian martyrs remain buried beneath Gaza’s rubble, their belongings entombed under layers of dust. A child's backpack, a shattered cooking pot, broken cups, and torn clothes—all silent witnesses to lives lost in Israel’s relentless assault.

For Abdel Fattah Ahmed, 50, the agony is unending. His wife, children, and grandchildren have been trapped beneath the ruins of their home since the first day of Ramadan last year. “Their bodies have decomposed, but leaving them under the rubble is unbearable,” he told Snd News Agency. Despite his desperate efforts, and those of the Civil Defense, the destruction and lack of equipment have made recovery impossible.

In March 2024, Israeli forces destroyed a three-story building, burying its residents under tons of concrete. Ahmed’s family is not alone in their suffering. Abdullah Al-Haddad, 30, from Gaza City, has been unable to leave the ruins of his bombed home. “Since the truce was announced, I feel as if they know I am here beside them, asking me to bring them to their graves,” he said, his voice trembling.

Abdullah has managed to recover the bodies of his mother, two sisters, and brother, but his father, uncle, and eldest sister remain missing. “Did they suffocate under the rubble? Were they torn apart by shrapnel? Or did they burn in the explosion?” The questions have tormented him for over a year, with no answers in sight.

It is estimated that 14,000 Palestinian martyrs remain buried under 55 million tons of debris, their recovery obstructed by Israel’s refusal to allow heavy machinery into Gaza. The blockade has not only prevented their burial but has also deepened the suffering of the living, leaving streets impassable and homes in ruins.

Between October 7, 2023, and January 19, 2025, Israel’s war on Gaza claimed approximately 160,000 Palestinian lives, most of them children and women. For families like Ahmed’s and Abdullah’s, the war has not ended—their loved ones remain under the rubble, awaiting dignity in death.