Civil defense unit: Thousands remain trapped under rubble in Gaza

Civil defense teams in Gaza Strip constantly targeted by Israeli bombardment even as equipment shortages hamper rescue effort, says spokesman.

Thousands of bodies remain under the debris of buildings destroyed by ongoing Israeli attacks, civil defense teams in the Gaza Strip reported on Sunday, with equipment shortages preventing their retrieval.

In a written statement published by Gaza’s Interior Ministry, civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said Israeli forces have been targeting their teams in the enclave constantly since Oct. 7.

“Thousands of martyrs are still under the rubble, and we cannot retrieve them. There are clear and significant deficiencies in our capabilities and mechanisms. We cannot reach the bodies under the debris in the northern Gaza Strip,” said Basal, urging support for the civil defense unit.

The Israeli army resumed bombing the Gaza Strip early Friday after declaring an end to a week-long humanitarian pause with the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

More than 15,200 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.