Children among 112 bodies recovered from homes destroyed during Israel's genocidal war in Gaza

Gaza’s Civil Defence agency said Saturday its crews had recovered the bodies and remains of 112 people from beneath the rubble of homes destroyed by Israeli strikes in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City.

In a statement, the agency said crews had completed a search operation launched nearly two weeks ago in a residential block that it said the Israeli army had “destroyed over its inhabitants.”

According to the agency, the residential block, which included homes belonging to the al-Hasayna and Abu Sharia families, was struck on November 23, 2023, one day before the first truce in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza took effect.

The agency said its crews recovered the bodies during 136 hours of “arduous” work carried out over nearly two weeks.

The victims included 40 children, 38 women and seven people with disabilities, it said.

More bodies still buried

Mohammed Abu Dan, who supervised the operation, said crews were unable to recover another 157 bodies believed to remain buried beneath the rubble.

“The crews were digging with their hands through masses of reinforced concrete,” Abu Dan said, describing the lack of equipment as the biggest obstacle to the operation.

He said some bodies were trapped in concrete and steel reinforcement, which he said reflected the destructive force of the munitions used.

“Many bodies disintegrated and evaporated because of the intensity of the explosion,” he added.