With Fighting Stilled, Gazans Face New Trauma: Searching for Their Dead

After 15 months of war in Gaza, Hani al-Dibs, a high-school teacher, faces the bitter reality that the cease-fire has brought no relief as he struggles to recover the remains of loved ones trapped beneath rubble left by Israel’s bombardment. With nearly 48,000 dead and 9,000 missing under rubble, families like the Dibs endure heart-wrenching challenges in finding closure, as they confront the devastating aftermath of destruction and loss amidst ongoing obstacles in accessing blast sites and identifying remains. Despite efforts to retrieve bodies and lay them to rest, survivors like Mr. al-Dibs and his daughter Fatima are left with haunting questions and psychological torment, as they grapple with the profound impact of the war on their lives and their ability to find closure and heal from the trauma.

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