Key facts
- 55 bodies and human remains of the Malka family were recovered from a collapsed building in Gaza's Zeytoun area.
- The victims had sought refuge in the building due to Israeli bombardment.
- Search operations have been ongoing for three days.
- Civil defense estimates that more than 60 bodies may still be buried in the rubble.
- A collective funeral is planned for early next week.
- Gaza's civil defense faces severe shortages of heavy machinery, hindering recovery efforts.
Palestinian civil defense teams have recovered 55 bodies and human remains from a collapsed building in the Zeytoun area of Gaza City, identified as belonging to the Malka family. These individuals had sought refuge in the building approximately two years prior, fleeing Israeli bombardment. The search operations have been ongoing for three consecutive days, with authorities estimating that more than 60 bodies may still be buried within the rubble. A joint funeral procession for the victims is scheduled for early next week.
The recovery effort highlights a larger tragedy across Gaza, where civil defense officials estimate around 10,000 bodies remain buried beneath destroyed buildings. This figure does not include victims whose bodies could not be reached or officially registered. The work is severely hampered by a critical shortage of heavy machinery, including excavators and bulldozers, needed to clear the debris. The agency has lost approximately 85% of its equipment and is operating at only 5% to 7% of its prewar capacity. Rescue workers face constant danger from unstable debris, and many civil defense personnel have been killed or wounded. The current recovery operation is being conducted under a project providing 800 hours of work, in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross, but the limited capacity is insufficient for the scale of the task.