In Gaza City, members of the Al-Drimli family are tirelessly searching through the debris of their former home for the remains of a neighbor who was sheltering with them when their building was destroyed by an airstrike in November 2023. With only basic tools like shovels, buckets, and a wheelbarrow, they are facing the daunting task under the scorching sun.
Due to the scarcity of excavators in Gaza, many Palestinians, including the Al-Drimli family, are resorting to manual labor to sift through the rubble in search of their loved ones. The family had already found the remains of their own family members at the site but remains determined to locate their missing neighbor.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 bodies are still trapped under the rubble nearly three years after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. The lack of available heavy machinery in Gaza has forced families to undertake the painstaking process of recovery using limited resources and manpower.
The Al-Drimli family spoke of the challenges they face due to the high cost and unavailability of equipment, highlighting the dire situation in Gaza. Officials and equipment operators in the region confirm the severe shortage of functioning excavators, with only a handful of them barely operational.
Samir Sabra, who operates two excavators in Gaza, emphasized the financial strain of maintaining the equipment, particularly the high cost of fuel. The ongoing maintenance issues and the lack of spare parts have severely hampered their ability to keep up with the demand for their services.
Despite the ceasefire agreement last October, which was supposed to facilitate the entry of more heavy machinery into Gaza for reconstruction efforts, little progress has been made on the ground. The international community has been urged to intervene and provide support to expedite the recovery process and clear the rubble.
The Palestinian Civil Defence, working tirelessly to retrieve remains and clear debris, has been limited to only one excavator at a time to avoid worsening the situation. The lack of access to heavy machinery and essential supplies continues to impede the recovery efforts in Gaza, prolonging the agonizing process of locating and retrieving the bodies trapped beneath the rubble.