Gaza: 112 bodies recovered from rubble

Palestinian civil defense teams have completed a two-week search operation in Gaza's Sabra neighborhood, recovering 112 bodies from the rubble of destroyed homes. The grim discovery includes the remains of 40 children, 38 women, and seven individuals with disabilities, according to the civil defense organization. The operation focused on a residential area that suffered extensive damage. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is providing support to the civil defense teams in their efforts to locate the missing and recover bodies. An ICRC spokesperson in Gaza described the search and recovery of remains as a "humanitarian issue of crucial importance," highlighting the need for time, specialized equipment, and coordination among various actors. Colonel Mohammed Abou Dan, head of the body recovery project for the civil defense, stated that 157 other people remain missing under the debris at the site. He described the search conditions as extremely challenging, with teams manually sifting through concrete blocks and collapsed metal structures. Since the war began on October 7, 2023, thousands of people have gone missing in Gaza, many presumed buried under rubble from Israeli bombardments. Establishing an exact death toll remains difficult due to the scale of destruction and limited access to many areas.