Gaza Civil Defense recovers 112 bodies from Sabra rubble
09:52, 02/08/2026, SundayU: Update: 10:18, 02/08/2026, Sunday
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Gaza's Civil Defense agency said Saturday its crews completed a grueling two-week operation to recover 112 bodies from a residential block destroyed by Israeli strikes in November 2023, including 40 children and 38 women, while warning that 157 more victims remain trapped beneath reinforced concrete without heavy equipment.
Gaza's Civil Defense agency announced Saturday that search crews had recovered the remains of 112 people from beneath the rubble of a residential block in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood, nearly two years after Israeli strikes destroyed the buildings and killed residents sheltering inside. The agency said in a statement that crews completed the 136-hour operation after launching search efforts nearly two weeks ago in homes belonging to the al-Hasayna and Abu Sharia families, which it said the Israeli army had "destroyed over its inhabitants." The victims included 40 children, 38 women and seven people with disabilities, according to the statement, while Mohammed Abu Dan, who supervised the operation, said crews were unable to reach another 157 bodies believed to remain buried beneath the rubble.
'Digging With Their Hands'
Abu Dan described how rescue personnel spent 136 hours digging through reinforced concrete without adequate equipment. "The crews were digging with their hands through masses of reinforced concrete," he said, noting that some remains were trapped in concrete and steel reinforcement. "Many bodies disintegrated and evaporated because of the intensity of the explosion," he added, describing the destructive force of the munitions used.
Ongoing Search Efforts
The Sabra search formed part of the second phase of a broader project launched on July 19 to recover bodies believed trapped beneath destroyed buildings across the Gaza Strip. Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said at the launch that crews would spend 800 hours searching 147 destroyed homes across Gaza City and the northern and central parts of the enclave, where an estimated 1,072 bodies are believed to remain trapped. Gaza's government media office said in October 2025 that about 9,500 Palestinians had been reported missing since Israel launched its offensive in October 2023.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israel was to allow the entry of heavy machinery needed for recovery operations, though Palestinian authorities accuse Israel of failing to fulfill that obligation. The ceasefire ended two years of war in Gaza, during which more than 73,000 Palestinians were killed and over 174,000 injured, according to Gaza authorities, while the UN has estimated reconstruction costs at around $70 billion.