Over 8,000 Missing in Gaza Amid Ongoing Recovery Efforts

Three years into the war in Gaza, Palestinian Civil Defence teams and families are searching for over 8,000 people believed to be buried beneath approximately 61 million tonnes of rubble from Israeli bombardments. Recovery operations are severely hampered by a shortage of heavy machinery, forcing workers to search manually.

As of September 2026, more than 630 bodies and human remains have been recovered since November 2025. The recovery process faces challenges due to restrictions on heavy equipment entering Gaza, with only two excavators operational.

Additionally, over 60 percent of Gaza is reportedly under Israeli military control, making many areas inaccessible for search crews. The lack of DNA testing facilities complicates the identification of remains, leaving families to rely on personal belongings for identification.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called for international investigators to access Gaza and for enhanced efforts to recover and identify remains, highlighting serious humanitarian and legal concerns.