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Grieving Gaza father searches for family buried under rubble

03:34

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Tania Krämer | Mohammed Ibrahim in Gaza
October 23, 2025

In Gaza, the bodies of thousands of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes remain trapped under the rubble. Without heavy machinery, however, rescue efforts are stalled. DW accompanied a grieving father on his mission to retrieve the remains of his wife and children.

Warning: this report contains details that some viewers may find distressing.

In Gaza City's Shati refugee camp, Hani Al-Dhaifi mourns the loss of his wife and children, still buried under rubble after an Israeli airstrike. Despite appeals to rescue teams, he lacks the machinery to recover their bodies.

It's estimated that approximately 10,000 dead Palestinians remain trapped beneath debris. With limited resources, only easily accessible bodies are being retrieved.

Al-Dhaifi, like many, cannot begin to grieve without a proper burial.

Tania Krämer DW correspondent, author and reporter, based in Jerusalem.
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