Amid truce, under rubble: Search for missing begins in Gaza

After the truce, the attention is starting to shift to the rebuilding of the besieged enclave which the Israeli military has demolished. (Photo/AA)

Palestinians have begun searching for thousands of people believed still buried under rubble, as residents expressed shock at the devastation wrought by 15 months of Israel's brutal war on the enclave on the second day of a ceasefire.

The truce in the 15-month-old war, which has laid waste to Gaza and inflamed the Middle East, took effect on Sunday with the release of the first three Israeli captives and 90 Palestinians freed from Israeli jails.

Now attention is starting to shift to the rebuilding of the besieged enclave which the Israeli military has demolished.

Israel has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, with 62 bodies recovered in the last 24 hours, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli violence has led to a devastating loss of life, and the recovery process continues.

Despite the recent ceasefire, the true scale of the death toll remains uncertain. As more bodies are uncovered, the number of fatalities is expected to rise significantly.

The situation remains dire, with many areas still inaccessible, complicating efforts to obtain an accurate count of the casualties.

"We are searching for 10,000 martyrs whose bodies remain under the rubble," said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson of the Palestinian Civil Emergency Services.

'A war of extermination'

Displaced Palestinian in Gaza Mohamed Gomaa lost his brother and nephew in the war.

"It was a big shock, and the amount (of people) feeling shocked is countless because of what happened to their homes - it's destruction, total destruction. It's not like an earthquake or a flood, no no, what happened is a war of extermination," he said.

With a growing flow of aid into the Palestinian enclave, residents flocked into markets, with some expressing happiness at the lower prices and the presence of new food items like imported chocolates.

"The prices have gone down, the war is over and the crossing is open to more goods," said Aya Mohammad-Zaki, a displaced woman from Gaza City, who has been sheltering in Deir al Balah in central Gaza.

The deal requires 600 truckloads of aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the initial six-week ceasefire, including 50 carrying fuel. Half of the aid trucks would be delivered to the north, where experts have warned famine is imminent.

Residents and medics in Gaza said that for the most part, the ceasefire appeared to be holding, although there were isolated incidents.

Medics said eight people had been hit by Israeli fire since Monday morning in the southern city of Rafah, without giving details of their condition.

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Source: TRT