Fears of losing the remains of thousands of martyrs under Gaza's rubble.. Accusations against the occupation of recycling debris

The tragedy of the Engineers' Tower in Nuseirat camp remains a testament to one of the most horrific chapters of the genocide war in the Gaza Strip, where more than 250 Palestinians were martyred under the rubble of 22 residential apartments. More than a year later, at least half of these victims are still under the rubble, their bodies turned into remains mixed with the debris of the destroyed building due to the absence of heavy equipment.

The bereaved families live in a state of helplessness and oppression, as the pain did not stop at losing loved ones, but extended to depriving them of the right to a dignified burial and a final farewell. Fears are escalating that the remains of these martyrs will be lost to the wind amidst the continued prevention by the occupation of the entry of necessary machinery to retrieve them from under tons of cement.

Islam Darwish, a young woman who lost her husband and two children in the bombing, expresses her fear that the remains of her family will be transported with the rubble to be disposed of in the sea or reused in waste recycling projects. She bitterly wonders if anything remains of their bodies that can be buried after such a long period of decomposition under the rubble.

In the city of Rafah, Shaher Abu Awda recounts the story of the extermination of his family of 14, who are still under the rubble of their home in the Swedish Village. Shaher describes what happened as a complex crime, where the house was bombed, then the entire neighborhood was bulldozed, and the rubble, including the remains, was transported to unknown destinations without providing an opportunity to retrieve them.

In the Beit Lahia project north of the Strip, the Abu Al-Nasr family is still waiting to retrieve the remains of 23 of its members from among 150 martyrs who died in a horrific massacre. Survivor Aya Abu Al-Nasr confirms that the missiles tore the bodies into pieces mixed with the rubble, making identification extremely difficult and complex.

Palestinian Civil Defense data indicates shocking numbers of missing persons under the rubble, with Gaza Governorate topping the list with 4,210 martyrs under the rubble of 589 homes. North Gaza follows with 2,341 martyrs, while the remaining numbers are distributed among the Central Governorate, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, reflecting the immense scale of destruction.

Sources in the Civil Defense reported that their teams faced extreme difficulties in a previous project to retrieve martyrs, as no trace was found of about half of the targeted individuals. This is due to the severe decomposition of the bodies and the impact of the deadly weapons used, which caused the bodies to disintegrate and mix with soil and debris.

Officials in the Civil Defense in Rafah Governorate revealed dangerous practices by the occupation, including the use of robots and automated means to disintegrate bodies before bulldozing sites. Reports circulated about the transfer of this rubble for use in construction work within the occupied territories or in military areas, in flagrant violation of all international norms.

For its part, the Government Media Office in Gaza stressed the existence of field data confirming the deliberate bulldozing of homes over the heads of victims and mixing their remains with the rubble. The office called for the necessity of a swift and independent international investigation to uncover the fate of thousands of missing persons and hold accountable those responsible for these crimes that affect human dignity.

The International Committee of the Red Cross explained that it is trying to facilitate the access of rescue teams through dialogue with the parties to the conflict, but the final decisions remain in the hands of the occupation authorities. The committee confirmed that search operations are extremely complex and require significant technical capabilities not currently available due to the tight siege on the Strip.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the number of martyrs still under the rubble is estimated at about 9,000 missing persons, most of whom have not yet been included in official records. Officials indicate that entire families have been erased from the civil registry, making accurate counting of victims almost impossible at present.

International law experts describe what the remains of the martyrs are subjected to as a 'full-fledged war crime' falling within the context of ongoing genocide. Preventing the retrieval of bodies and obstructing the work of humanitarian teams constitutes a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions, which mandate respect for the dead and facilitating their burial.

The continued presence of bodies under the rubble prevents the healing of the bleeding wounds of thousands of Palestinian families who live on the hope of recovering the remains of their loved ones. These families appeal to the international community to pressure for the entry of heavy equipment and fuel necessary for the work of the Civil Defense before it is too late and all traces are completely lost.

The issue of the missing in Gaza remains an open wound that summarizes the tragedy of a people subjected to extermination and mutilation, both alive and dead. With each passing day, the chances of finding the remains fade, turning the destroyed homes into unmarked mass graves, awaiting someone to do justice to their victims and reveal to the world the fate of their lost bodies.

Bulldozing rubble mixed with the remains of victims, transporting it, and reusing it represents a blatant affront to human dignity and a serious violation of international law.