SAFA – Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of 69 Palestinians from beneath the rubble of destroyed homes in Jabalia refugee camp and Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, as thousands of families continue searching for loved ones buried under the devastation left by Israel's genocidal war.

The recovered victims include members of the Abu Warda, Nabhan, Al-Yazji, Masoud, and Al-Dibs families. Their remains are expected to be laid to rest in funerals scheduled for Monday.

Recovery operations focused on the Al-Hakoura neighborhood and areas surrounding schools in Jabalia, as well as several neighborhoods in Beit Lahia, where Israeli bombardment destroyed entire residential areas.

For grieving families, the recovery of their relatives' remains brings an end to months of uncertainty, allowing them to finally hold funerals and give their loved ones a dignified burial.

Thousands Still Buried Beneath Gaza's Rubble

According to Palestinian Civil Defense figures, more than 8,000 Palestinians remain buried beneath collapsed homes and buildings across Gaza.

The total number of missing Palestinians exceeds 10,000 when accounting for people who disappeared while fleeing their homes, those whose whereabouts remain unknown following Israeli detention, and victims buried in unmarked graves.

Despite the scale of the disaster, rescue teams face severe shortages of fuel, heavy machinery, and essential recovery equipment.

With reportedly just one excavator available to the Civil Defense, rescuers and volunteers are often forced to search through shattered concrete by hand, risking their lives beneath unstable structures that could collapse at any moment.

Many locations remain inaccessible, leaving countless families unable to recover the remains of their relatives.

Israeli attacks have also damaged government facilities and destroyed emergency vehicles, further undermining Gaza's already overwhelmed rescue capabilities.

Nevertheless, local teams continue recovering bodies, documenting remains, and assisting families with identification and burial procedures.

United Nations officials have warned that without urgent access to heavy equipment and essential resources, recovering those buried beneath Gaza's rubble could take years.

For thousands of Palestinian families, the suffering has not ended with the bombing. They are still waiting to find their loved ones, bury them with dignity, and finally have a grave where they can mourn.