At least 45 bodies pulled from single building in Gaza City
In Gaza City, the aftermath of the genocidal war continues to surface after the withdrawal of Israeli forces from some of the areas. Palestinian civil defence workers recovered at least 45 bodies from a building on Monday, long after it was destroyed by the Israeli military.
“If we had larger excavators, there would be less time in the intervention process,” said Mahmoud Basal, the spokesman of the Gaza Civil Defence. “The issue is that, at this rate, we would need approximately three years in recovery efforts.”
Abu Muhammed Salem, a relative of the family that was buried under the rubble of their home after Israeli bombs destroyed it, said he hopes the family can be put to rest.
“My wish is that we will be able to recover the last body so that they can be taken to the cemetery in Deir el-Balah, and then we’ll know where they are buried,” he said.
Another rough night for displaced families as heavy rains flood tents
The situation is grim on the ground as heavy rain has severely affected makeshift displacement sites across Gaza, where thousands of displaced families are living in tents made out of plastic sheets, fabric and scrap materials.
We saw how the rain flooded large areas, turning the ground into mud and causing water to leak inside these makeshift tents, damaging what’s left of the personal belongings of desperate families who have been struggling to cope with the terrible weather conditions.
Residents and displaced families told us that tents are offering very little protection against the rain. There is very limited access to waterproof materials, and there is no drainage system.
From the early hours of this morning, families have been helping each other by sharing their remaining plastic covers. But they are insufficient, and aid agencies have also repeatedly warned that the weather conditions are only exacerbating the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Israel continues to systematically ban the entry of tents and mobile homes for displaced Palestinians, some of whom are living in partially destroyed buildings that could collapse.
Concerns remain over second phase of ceasefire: Analyst
If the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire does not happen, the humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave will significantly worsen, according to analyst Muhanad Seloom.
“In order to move to phase two, they have to demarcate the so-called yellow line, which is currently controlled by the Israeli army,” said Seloom, an assistant professor in critical security studies at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.
Seloom told Al Jazeera that European and other stakeholders have concerns about the international stabilisation force that is envisioned to be deployed in Gaza, adding that they do not want to be in combat situations.
He said Israel has also continued its military campaign in Gaza while allowing a limited amount of humanitarian aid in, marking more ceasefire violations.
“I think it is a military decision at the moment about how to monitor the yellow line, because there is a kill zone of about 500 metres (1,640 feet) around that, and there is a question about how it will be observed,” Seloom said.
