Gaza Father Searches Rubble for Family Lost in Israeli Strike

(MENAFN) Amid the ruins of his former six-story home in Gaza City, Mahmoud Hammad painstakingly searches for the remains of his wife and children, who were killed when the building was destroyed. Using a small shovel and a metal sieve, the 45-year-old father filters sand and debris by hand, hoping to recover fragments that would allow him to give his family a proper burial.

“In the absence of machinery, this is what we have,” he said, holding up the sieve.

Hammad’s home in the Sabra neighborhood was obliterated on December 6, 2023, during intense Israeli bombardment. A bomb weighing roughly 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) struck the building while his family was inside. The attack killed his wife, six children, his brother, his brother’s wife, and their four children. Hammad survived but suffered severe injuries, including multiple rib fractures and damage to his shoulder and pelvis.

After months of partial recovery, he returned to the site to continue searching for the bodies of his wife and children. With help from neighbors, he managed to retrieve and bury his brother and the rest of his brother’s family. However, the remains of his immediate family remain buried under layers of hardened debris.

“I collect what I can, piece by piece,” he said, reflecting the painstaking and heartbreaking effort to honor his loved ones.

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