Gaza authorities seek global help to trace, rescue over 6,500 missing people

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The head of the Gaza media office called on the international community to assist local authorities in tracing and rescuing thousands of Palestinians missing since Oct. 7 as a result of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Ismail al-Thawabta told Anadolu: “Civil defense teams are still recovering dozens of martyrs from under the rubble, and roads from the south to the north of the Gaza Strip.”

“There are about 6,500 missing individuals, including more than 4,700 children and women, either under the rubble or their fate is still unknown,” he pointed out.

He said they needed equipment, machinery, and fuel to reach those under the rubble.

Al-Thawabta called on the international community to “intervene by providing heavy equipment and specialized teams in debris removal” to extract the missing people or their bodies from under the rubble.

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

It has since killed over 15,000 people, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala​​​​​​​