Remains of 55 people recovered from Gaza rubble two years after strike

Civil defence officials in Gaza have recovered the remains of 55 people from a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike two years ago.

The Gaza war, triggered by a massacre by Hamas and allied groups in 2023, has resulted in around 73,400 Palestinian deaths, with 82% of buildings in the Gaza Strip destroyed or damaged.

An estimated 10,000 to 14,000 people are still buried under rubble in Gaza, with a shortage of equipment hindering efforts to recover human remains from the aftermath of the conflict.

Civil defence officials in Gaza City said on Saturday that they have recovered the remains of 55 people from the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike two years ago.

Members of a family and numerous internally displaced persons had been staying in the house at the time, according to authorities conducting the clearance. Independent confirmation was not immediately available.

The Gaza war was triggered by the massacre by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas and allied groups on October 7, 2023. Around 200 people were killed in southern Israel and some 250 hostages were taken to the Gaza Strip.

According to the Hamas-controlled health authority in the coastal region, around 73,400 Palestinians have been killed since then. The figure does not differentiate between civilians and members of armed groups.

Eight out of 10 buildings destroyed or damaged

According to the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), 82% of all buildings in the Gaza Strip were destroyed or damaged during the war.

Health authorities in Gaza, along with UN agencies and aid organizations, estimate that the remains of 10,000 to 14,000 people are still buried under rubble.

Civil defence authorities report an acute shortage of bulldozers, excavators and trucks to gain access to the missing and recover human remains.

Only a small portion of the more than 60 million tons of war debris has been cleared so far.