Fresh grief in Gaza as families recover bodies of loved ones buried under rubble
The bodies of dozens of Palestinians killed in Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza have been recovered from the rubble during the ongoing ceasefire.
Looking down at her father’s body wrapped in a shroud outside Nasser Hospital in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis, a little girl wailed: “Daddy ... Why did you leave us?”
All around her, rows of body bags lay on the ground in the footage filmed by an NBC News crew Thursday. Families gathered around, mourning over their loved ones whose remains were pulled from the rubble of homes and buildings toppled during Israel's military offensive in the Palestinian enclave.
In the six days since a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have made their way back to their old homes. Many have found nothing more than rubble where their neighborhoods once stood.
Israel launched its deadly offensive in the enclave following the Hamas-led attacks Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 and saw around 250 people taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies, an assault that marked a major escalation in a decadeslong conflict.
Since then, more than 47,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials in the enclave.
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