160 martyrs unearthed from wreckage in Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
29 Nov 2023 08:56

6,500 missing individuals are still under the rubble in Gaza, including more than 4,700 children and women.

Palestinians walk by a destroyed building in Jabaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP)

Aid workers and ambulance crewmembers, along with local volunteers, retrieved 160 Palestinian martyrs from under the rubble in the past 24 hours: raising the total number of martyrs since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7 to more than 15,000, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women.

Rescue teams had to manually extract the bodies of the martyrs, due to the lack of machinery and necessary equipment. Preliminary data indicates that about 6,500 missing individuals are still under the rubble, including more than 4,700 children and women. Since the start of the temporary truce last Friday between the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza and the Israeli occupation, rescue teams have been attempting to recover the bodies of the martyrs with the available resources.

The past five days have revealed the magnitude of the humanitarian disaster that befell the Gaza Strip, with 300,000 residential units sustaining damage, including 50,000 housing units completely destroyed by the Israeli occupation's bombardment.

Despite the truce, the Israeli occupation prevented displaced Gazans from returning to their cities and towns in the north. Israeli occupation Forces stationed on Salah al-Din Street opened fire on citizens attempting to reach the north to inspect their homes and search for their missing family members, resulting in the martyrdom of three citizens and the injury of others despite the truce.

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his condolences to the martyrs of the genocide in Gaza, noting that nothing can "justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

"This International Day of Solidarity comes during one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Palestinian people. I am horrified by the death and destruction that have engulfed the region, which is overwhelmed with pain, anguish and heartache," he said in a statement.

"I express my sincere condolences to the thousands of families who are mourning loved ones. This includes members of our own United Nations family killed in Gaza, representing the largest loss of personnel in the history of our Organization."

He reiterated his demand for a lasting ceasefire and the liberation of captives held by the Palestinian Resistance, as well as Palestinian prisoners arbitrarily detained in Israeli prisons.

Guterres further called for "unrestricted access to lifesaving aid, the release of all hostages, the protection of civilians, and an end to violations of international humanitarian law."