"It has been described as one of the most gruelling recovery efforts in modern warfare.
As negotiations over the fragile Gaza ceasefire continue, Palestinians have started to dig through 61m tonnes of debris, 20 times more than the combined mass of all debris generated by conflicts since 2008. Underneath, at least 10,000 people are thought to be buried.
The Guardian spoke with several families in Gaza desperately searching for the bodies of their missing relatives, as well as members of the Palestinian civil defence, a branch of the security services responsible for emergency services and rescue operations. Photos, video footage and data shed light on the scale of the task ahead.
Rescue teams have so far had to rely on rudimentary tools – shovels, pickaxes, wheelbarrows, rakes, hoes – and their bare hands. Requests to Israel to allow the entry of excavators and heavy machinery so they can work more effectively have received no response.
“The whole world has seen the equipment that was brought in to retrieve the bodies of Israeli hostages [including bulldozers and excavators],” said Dr Mohammed al-Mughir, the director of humanitarian support and international cooperation at the civil defence. “We also need the same equipment to retrieve our bodies.”"
