Civil Defense: 10,000 People still trapped under rubble as enemy blocks equipment entry

The Director of Civil Defense in Khan Younis, Mohammed Siam, stated on Saturday that more than 10,000 people remain missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings, while rescue teams face immense difficulties recovering them due to catastrophic conditions and the severe lack of equipment and machinery.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Siam said the scale of destruction is massive, noting that 60% of Gaza’s civil defense assets have been completely destroyed, along with most main roads — severely hampering the ability of emergency crews to reach targeted areas.

He added that the Israeli enemy continues to refuse the entry of heavy machinery and rescue equipment into the Gaza Strip, even for operations to retrieve the bodies of captured Israeli soldiers, which further complicates and obstructs the work of rescue teams.

Siam issued an urgent appeal to the international community and humanitarian organizations to immediately allow the entry of specialized teams and equipment into Gaza and to help rehabilitate the nearly paralyzed civil defense units, so they can continue recovery and safety operations.