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Over 9,500 Palestinians still under rubble in Gaza: Official

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Oct 21, 2025

Officials in Gaza say more than 9,500 Palestinians remain unaccounted for, as the ongoing Israeli siege and resulting shortage of equipment continue to hamper efforts to recover them.

Ismail al-Thawabta, Director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, said on Monday that most of the missing bodies lie beneath the rubble of homes and buildings destroyed across the Gaza Strip following Israel's intense bombardment during the two-year genocidal war.

Many of the victims are members of entire families exterminated inside their homes, with the majority being women and children. Others include members of medical, media, and relief teams who were targeted while carrying out their humanitarian duties, al-Thawabta told the Palestinian Safa News Agency.

"Despite the continuous efforts made by Civil Defense teams, the Ministry of Health, and other humanitarian groups, the siege and shortage of equipment and resources prevent the recovery of all the bodies," he said, adding that the Israeli regime continues to block the entry of heavy machinery needed for search and recovery operations.

Al-Thawabta described the issue of the missing bodies as one of the most painful and complex humanitarian cases, holding Israel fully responsible for the ongoing tragedy. He stressed that obstructing recovery operations constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and an extension of the systematic policy of genocide in Gaza.

Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 68,000 people and wounded over 170,000 since it began in early October 2023.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas took effect earlier this month. However, the truce has been repeatedly violated, with Israeli forces shooting unarmed Palestinians and carrying out multiple airstrikes on Gaza. Nearly 100 Palestinians have been killed and more than 230 wounded since the ceasefire came into force on October 10.

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