RismadarVoice Reporters
September 5, 2026
The remains of 55 Palestinians have been recovered from the rubble of a residential building in Gaza City nearly three years after it was destroyed in an Israeli air strike, Gaza’s civil defence authorities have reported.
The victims were identified as members of the Malka family, who were sheltering inside their home in the Zeitoun neighbourhood when the building was hit on November 19, 2023, according to Palestinian officials.
The recovery operation, which concluded on Saturday, was carried out by civil defence teams working through the remains of the collapsed structure. Officials said the search was conducted manually due to a shortage of heavy equipment needed to remove large amounts of debris.
Colonel Muhammad Abu Dan, who supervised the rescue teams, said personnel had been searching for more than 60 missing members of the family over 72 hours before recovering the remains.
He called on international humanitarian organisations to provide additional equipment to support ongoing efforts to retrieve thousands of people believed to remain trapped beneath destroyed buildings across Gaza.
The United Nations Satellite Centre has estimated that about 82 per cent of buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict, while Gaza’s Ministry of Health and aid organisations say between 10,000 and 14,000 people may still be missing under rubble.
A joint funeral procession for the recovered victims is expected to take place next weekend, according to officials.
The recovery comes amid continued debate over Gaza’s future, following comments by some Israeli officials regarding proposals involving the movement of Palestinians from the territory. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said there was no plan by Israel or the United States to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that hospitals in the territory received 17 bodies and 27 injured people over the previous 48 hours. Officials said some victims remained trapped beneath debris or inaccessible in areas affected by ongoing attacks.
The ministry said that since a ceasefire took effect in October 2025, at least 1,344 people have been killed and 4,464 injured, while hundreds of bodies have been recovered from collapsed buildings.
The broader death toll from the conflict since October 2023 has continued to rise, with Gaza health authorities reporting tens of thousands of deaths and injuries.
