Amid ceasefire, Gaza begins grim search for 10,000 bodies vanquished or lost in the rubble

• Palestinians in Gaza have begun the harrowing task of recovering an estimated 10,000 bodies buried under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israel’s bombing campaign.
• Despite a ceasefire, three Palestinians, including two children, were killed by Israeli snipers in Rafah, underscoring the fragility of the truce.
• Gaza’s Health Ministry reports a death toll of 47,035 since October 2023, with over 111,000 wounded, though independent studies suggest the true toll may exceed 70,000.
• Aid deliveries have increased under the ceasefire, but reconstruction remains uncertain as Israeli officials threaten a resumption of hostilities.

The stench of genocide lingers, as temporary ceasefire begins

On Monday, as a fragile ceasefire entered its second day in Gaza, Palestinians began the grim task of sifting through the ruins of their homes and neighborhoods in search of the estimated 10,000 bodies buried beneath the rubble. The ceasefire, brokered after months of relentless Israeli bombardment, has offered a brief respite to a population battered by what many describe as a genocidal campaign. Yet, even as aid flows into the besieged enclave and families attempt to rebuild their lives, the specter of renewed violence looms large. Israeli officials have signaled that the war is far from over, while Palestinians grapple with the staggering human cost of a conflict that has left tens of thousands dead, wounded, or missing.

The scale of destruction in Gaza is almost unimaginable. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to mountains of concrete and twisted metal, with an estimated 10,000 bodies still buried beneath the debris.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense, told Reuters, “We are searching for 10,000 martyrs whose bodies remain under the rubble.” He added that at least 2,840 bodies were “melted,” leaving no trace of their existence.

Medical sources reported that 135 bodies were recovered in Rafah, a southern city that has borne the brunt of Israel’s recent offensive. Gaza’s Health Ministry, which has been meticulously documenting the toll, announced that hospitals received 122 bodies in the past 24 hours alone, including 62 pulled from the rubble. The ministry’s figures, however, are widely believed to be an under count. A recent study published in The Lancet estimated that the true death toll may exceed 70,000, accounting for indirect deaths caused by the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure and the ongoing siege.

Ceasefire violations and ongoing violence continue on in Gaza

Despite the ceasefire, violence has not ceased entirely. On Monday, two Palestinian civilians, including a boy, were killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) snipers in Rafah. Later in the day, another child was shot dead by an Israeli sniper in the same area. Ten others were wounded by Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The ceasefire, which includes a 42-day truce and a hostage exchange, has brought some relief. Three female Israeli hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for 90 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. Aid deliveries have also increased, with 630 trucks entering Gaza on Sunday and 915 on Monday, according to the United Nations. For many Palestinians, however, the ceasefire is a bittersweet reprieve. While they celebrate the influx of supplies, they are also returning to homes reduced to ruins, with no clear timeline for reconstruction, and the harsh reality of lost loved ones buried in the ash.

The current conflict is rooted in decades of occupation, displacement, and systemic violence against Palestinians. Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has been one of the deadliest in modern history, drawing comparisons to some of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. The destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure—hospitals, schools, water systems, and homes—has created a humanitarian catastrophe that will take generations to repair.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, have made it clear that the war is not over. The ceasefire is merely a pause, they say, with plans to resume hostilities after the initial phase of the agreement. This rhetoric has left Palestinians in a state of limbo, unsure whether to rebuild or prepare for the next wave of violence.

Sources include:

News.antiwar.com

Archive.vn

Aljazeera.com