In Gaza City, members of the Al-Drimli family are tirelessly searching through the debris of their former home to locate the remains of a friend and neighbor. Using basic tools like shovels, buckets, and a wheelbarrow, they navigate the rubble under the scorching midday sun. The clatter of shovels striking debris and the hum of an electric saw echo through the air as they work in silence.
Despite the challenges, the family perseveres, determined to find the neighbor who was in their home when it was destroyed by an airstrike in November 2023. The Gaza Health Ministry estimates that thousands of bodies remain buried under the rubble nearly three years after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began.
Facing a severe shortage of excavators in Gaza, many Palestinians, including the Al-Drimli family, rely on manual labor to uncover the remains of their loved ones. Speaking to CBC News, Ayman Al-Drimli highlighted the high cost and scarcity of equipment, forcing them to work with their hands.
Heavy equipment operators in Gaza confirm the scarcity of functional excavators in the region, with only a handful in operation. Samir Sabra, who operates two excavators in Gaza, emphasized the financial challenges of maintaining the machinery due to exorbitant costs of fuel and a lack of spare parts.
The demand for excavators far exceeds the available resources, as Uday Sabra, Samir’s son, struggles to keep up with the requests for their services. With limited machinery and overwhelming destruction, the task of clearing rubble and retrieving remains becomes a daunting and prolonged endeavor.
Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defence, attributes the scarcity of excavators to deliberate targeting during the conflict. Despite ceasefire agreements aimed at facilitating access to heavy machinery, the situation on the ground remains unchanged, prolonging the arduous process of recovering bodies from the rubble.
Border restrictions imposed by Israel on essential supplies like fuel, oil, and spare parts further hinder the maintenance and operation of crucial machinery in Gaza. The United Nations and humanitarian aid groups have raised concerns about the detrimental impact of these restrictions on recovery efforts and urged the international community to intervene.
As Uday continues his painstaking work at the site, he remains committed to providing closure to families by diligently searching for and recovering the remains of those lost in the conflict.