8,000 bodies reportedly still under Gaza debris
May 04, 2026
Gaza [Palestine], May 4: About 8,000 Palestinian bodies are believed to be under the rubble in the Gaza Strip, where less than one percent of debris has been cleared after Israel's two-year genocidal war.
Haaretz newspaper, citing an unnamed official from the UN Development Programme, said the slow pace of removal means the process could take up to seven years to complete.
Palestinian families continue to wait to recover and bury relatives buried beneath collapsed buildings from Israeli bombardment.
The assessment is based on data from Palestinian Civil Defence authorities, who have warned of severe shortages of heavy equipment, slowing efforts to clear vast areas of destruction.
Israel has continued to commit daily violations of a "ceasefire" deal signed last October, killing 828 Palestinians and injuring 2,342, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The ceasefire was meant to end a two-year Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which killed more than 72,000 people and wounded 172,000 others, with 90 percent of civilian infrastructure destroyed.
The UN estimates reconstruction costs at about $70bn.
Source: Qatar Tribune
