A man in Gaza who lost 24 relatives to Israeli attacks searches for their remains in the rubble, in a powerful image that reveals how the territory is struggling to rebuild.
Mahmoud Hille, 40, uses a shovel to dig through the rubble of Gaza city, where homes and tower blocks were destroyed by Israeli bombardment. Mr Hille has been searching for more than two years. Because Israel does not allow heavy machinery to enter, he is forced to rely on his bare hands and physical strength in his quest.
As The National revealed last week, the official figure of 8,000 people still missing amid the rubble may be an underestimate. Not being able to recover them not only denies closure to families but also creates a health hazard as bodies decompose, officials have warned.
Israel, which restricts the entry into Gaza of items it claims could have a military use, does not allow in equipment suitable for clearing the rubble. Amid daily complaints of vermin, the Israeli army recently agreed to allow the delivery of rodenticides to counter rat infestations.
The total death toll of Israel's war stands at 72,740, Gaza health officials said on Monday, after three more people were killed. A ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump paused Israel's assault last October, but it continues to carry out regular strikes on people it says are attackers or Hamas operatives.
The three latest deaths included two people killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in Khan Younis early on Sunday, official Palestinian media said. It said the third was killed by a strike on the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.
Israel's military said its air force had struck “armed Hamas terrorists” who were preparing “imminent attacks” on its troops. It is not known if the Israeli army was referring to the same incident in Khan Younis.
The Palestinian government in the West Bank has expressed concern about the regional war that began in February diverting attention away from the dire conditions in Gaza. Israel has threatened to repeat the destruction in Gaza in southern Lebanon during its war with Hezbollah there.
Progress on Mr Trump's peace plan has been limited, with little sign of Hamas laying down its weapons. A report in Israeli media on Monday said the military had been briefed on suspected rebuilding efforts by Hamas in Gaza.
The classified document quoted by Israel's Channel 13 reportedly says Hamas is adding dozens of fighters to its battalions, and manufacturing hundreds of mortar shells, explosives and anti-tank missiles every month. It also says that Hamas has conducted training exercises recently and carried out maintenance on its tunnel network.
The UN estimates that more than 61 million tonnes of rubble remain in Gaza after two years of war, with less than 1 per cent of the debris from the war removed so far. Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said last week that the machinery available is worn out and unable to handle the scale of destruction wrought by Israel during its offensive against Hamas.
In one neighbourhood, Al Saftawi, Amin Abu Ward told The National he had been unable to recover the remains of 11 members of his family – his parents, siblings and their children – who were killed when the family was hit by an Israeli air strike in August 2024.
“We have not been able to recover any of them. There is no equipment or tools available to do so,” Mr Abu Ward, 32, said. Until that day comes, he continues to pray and hold on to hope that he can give them a proper burial.
Sohaib Ahmed, 29, spent $15,000 in five days, renting bulldozers and hiring 20 workers to find his brothers Amer and Mohammad, who disappeared after an explosion in October 2024. They dug through the ruins of six houses and of entire streets, but found nothing.
