In Gaza City, members of the Al-Drimli family are diligently searching for their neighbor’s remains among the debris of their former residence. Equipped with shovels, buckets, and a wheelbarrow, they toil under the scorching sun, the clatter of shovels against rubble echoing around them.
The family, having already found the remains of their own loved ones, now focuses on locating their neighbor, who was with them when an airstrike demolished their building in November 2023. The Gaza Health Ministry estimates that around 8,000 to 10,000 bodies still lie beneath the rubble almost three years after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began.
Due to a scarcity of excavators in Gaza, many Palestinians, like the Al-Drimli family, have resorted to manual labor to search for the remains of those lost. Ayman Al-Drimli explained the challenges they face due to the high costs and limited availability of equipment.
The shortage of excavators in the region is a pressing issue. Samir Sabra and his son, Uday Sabra, operate two of the few remaining excavators in Gaza but struggle with the exorbitant costs of maintenance. The lack of spare parts and fuel further complicates the situation, making it difficult to keep the machinery operational.
Despite the ceasefire agreement last October, access to heavy equipment remains limited, hindering the recovery efforts. Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defence, highlighted the deliberate targeting of machinery during the conflict, prolonging the process of clearing rubble and retrieving remains.
Border restrictions imposed by Israel on vital supplies such as fuel, oil, and spare parts have severely impacted maintenance and operational activities in Gaza. Humanitarian organizations emphasize the urgent need to enhance access to essential resources to expedite the recovery process and alleviate the strain on local operators.
In the midst of these challenges, Uday Sabra persists in his work, determined to provide closure to the families of the deceased by meticulously sifting through the rubble until every lost soul is accounted for.