Gaza civil defense recovers remains of 28 Palestinians from house destroyed by Israel in 2023

GAZA CITY: Gaza's Civil Defense said Sunday it had recovered the remains of 28 Palestinians from beneath the rubble of a house destroyed by the Israeli army in October 2023.

The remains were found at the Abu Naama family's residence in the Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City, Anadolu Ajansi reported the agency said in a statement.

Family sources told Anadolu that Israeli warplanes had struck the house.

On Saturday, the Civil Defense said it recovered the remains of seven other Palestinians from two destroyed houses: one belonging to the Nuwairi family in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, and the other to the Atallah family in the Yarmouk area of Gaza City.

The recoveries are part of the second phase of the Civil Defense's project to retrieve the remains of people buried beneath buildings destroyed during Israel's war on Gaza.

The phase began on July 19 and covers sites in Gaza City, northern Gaza and the Nuseirat refugee camp.

The Civil Defense estimates 1,072 people may be beneath those buildings.

Teams plan to search 147 houses across Gaza's northern and central governorates over 800 working hours.

Civil Defense crews say the work is proceeding slowly because they lack the heavy equipment needed to clear the rubble.

Palestinian officials say the ceasefire agreement in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, provides for the entry of machinery to assist with debris removal and the recovery of victims.

In the first phase, which began in late November 2025, the remains of 333 people were recovered.

In October 2025, Gaza's government media office estimated that about 9,500 Palestinians were missing since the start of the war, including people believed to be buried under destroyed buildings and others whose whereabouts remained unknown.

The UN human rights office has also highlighted the continuing trauma caused by the long wait to recover the victims' remains. — BERNAMA