Gaza launches second phase of search for 1,072 missing bodies under rubble

Gaza's Civil Defense announced the commencement of the second phase of its search for bodies, a critical operation aimed at recovering the remains of 1,072 people still missing and presumed trapped under debris or in hard-to-reach areas across the Gaza Strip.

This intensive phase is slated to last 800 working hours and will cover the central, Gaza, and northern governorates. Rescuers will focus on 147 destroyed homes where the missing individuals are believed to be located. This effort is being conducted in coordination with and funded by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The first phase of the operation, which lasted 500 hours, saw the recovery of 333 bodies out of a targeted 559. The Civil Defense highlighted the severe limitations of their resources, including a single excavator, bulldozer, and truck, as a significant impediment to conducting recovery operations at the necessary speed, given the vast amount of rubble and destroyed buildings.

When a ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Gaza's Ministry of Health estimated that approximately 7,000 bodies were missing. Since the truce, the ministry reports that 800 bodies have been recovered. The Civil Defense's ongoing mission underscores the immense scale of the humanitarian crisis and the challenges faced in accounting for all those lost.