‘Skull without jaws’: Gaza survivors search for remains of the dead | News about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Palestine – With a heavy heart, sharp eyes and trembling hands, Abu Muhammed Ghaith meticulously searched through the thick nylon sacks used as makeshift covers for killed in Gaza. Inside the morgue at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, he hoped to find a trace of his missing son. Instead, he was met with only unidentified body parts and fragmented remains.

The sight caused him to fall to the ground, overwhelmed with grief and exhaustion. Still, he mustered up the strength to continue searching for any trace of 17-year-old Muhammed, shifting his focus from the body to personal belongings: a pair of sandals patched with yellow plastic or an orange sweater, a black jacket, sweatpants—anything that might belong to his son.

“Has anyone seen a patched sandal with a yellow sole? Please, if you find him, let me know,” Abu Muhammed pleaded with others who, like him, came to the mortuary early Tuesday morning to look for their loved ones among the remains of dozens of bodies which the Palestinian Civil Defense pulled out from under the rubble in Rafah, south of Khan Younis on the Egyptian border. Tears streamed down his face as he fell to his knees and leaned against the wall. “I’m not looking for his body anymore – just his sandal. See what we’ve come to?” he murmured, a mixture of sadness and helplessness in his voice.

AND truce that came into effect on Sunday between Israel and Hamas allowed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to their mostly destroyed homes in Rafah and elsewhere in the Strip. Relentless shelling over 15 months has displaced nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, many without the ability to properly recover the bodies of their loved ones who perished under the bombardment and rubble.

Destroyed infrastructure and Israeli targeting of ambulances and civil defense vehicles also hampered their ability to reach bomb-hit sites.

Muhammed has been missing since November. He left the family’s refugee camp in al-Mawasi for what he said was a quick trip to return belongings from his home in Rafah.

He never came back.

Abu Muhammed is certain that his son was killed by Israeli fire or shelling while trying to return home. “He wanted to return some of our things and return to the camp. But he didn’t bring anything, and he didn’t even come back,” he told Al Jazeera.

“A Few Bones”

In the days since the Israeli army partially withdrew from Rafah, local rescue teams and medical personnel have recovered dozens of remains and body parts, which have been transported to Nasser Hospital and the European Hospital in Khan Younis for identification. As the news spread, families with missing loved ones flocked to these places, hoping to find a solution.

For Abu Muhammad, it was the last hope of finding his son.

From the day he disappeared, Abu Muhammad spared no effort in searching for him. He contacted the Red Cross, the Ministry of Health and anyone who could help. He even returned to his destroyed home in Rafah, combing through the rubble. “I looked everywhere. His mother is on the verge of losing her mind and his sisters are desperate for answers,” he said.

The war has killed around 47,000 people, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. However, the world-renowned medical journal Lancet expects the actual death toll to be 41 percent more from the announced toll.

In May, the United Nations’ humanitarian arm, OCHA, said more than 10,000 people were believed to be buried under the rubble in Gaza, adding that it could take up to three years to retrieve the bodies, given the very primitive tools in the territory. .

After hours of searching through the ruins of his destroyed home in Rafah, a devastated Faraj Abu Mohsen found no sign of his son. On his way back to Khan Younis, where his family had been displaced, the 42-year-old came across body parts and torn clothing about 200 meters (656 feet) from the rubble of his home – items he recognized as belonging to his son.

“I gave up hope of finding him alive. As I was returning to Khan Younis after a day’s search, my foot hit some bones. I moved them aside to reveal the clothes that belonged to my son – his black shirt, blue pants and tennis shoes. I knew it was him,” Faraj recalled sadly. He gathered the remains into a sack, buried what he could, and promised to return for more.

“None of us could have imagined that we would have only a few bones left of him,” he said, his voice heavy with grief.

Challenges of identification

A heartbreaking scene unfolded inside and outside the mortuary at Nasser Hospital. Desperate families described physical characteristics or clothing in hopes of identifying their loved ones.

“My son recently had an implant,” said one mother.

Another father called out, “He was wearing jeans.”

Others talked about height, build, or unique items like a cowboy hat or patched sandals.

Adding to the pain were the sharp markings written on the covers: “Skull without Lower Jaw”, “Bone Farms”, “Rib Cage” or “Upper and Lower Limbs”. Instead of names and ages, medical teams documented details of Palestinians killed by Israeli artillery to help families identify the remains. These notes were accompanied by descriptions of personal items found with the remains – rings, watches, shoes or damaged ID cards.

The lack of DNA testing in Gaza significantly hinders identification efforts, explained Dr. Ahmed Dhahir, a forensic medicine adviser to the Gaza Ministry of Health, adding that Israel has long restricted the entry of DNA testing equipment into the Strip. “Without this technology, many bodies remain unidentified, leaving families in perpetual anguish,” he said.

dr. Dhahir described the identification process: the remains are first retrieved by rescue teams, then examined and documented. Details such as location of recovery, date and any personal items are recorded. Given the condition in which these bodies were found, forensic experts rely heavily on circumstantial evidence, such as clothing or belongings, to guide families.

“We are following legal protocol by holding the bodies for up to 48 hours to give the families a chance to identify them. After that, the Ministry of Endowments and Civil Defense buries the remains in a designated cemetery, with specific numbers and records maintained for potential future identification if testing equipment becomes available,” said Dr. Dharir.

He also pointed out that one third of the remains found in Rafa so far – about 150 cases – remain unidentified.

“The most challenging cases are those involving partial remains: skull, leg bones or chest fragments. They are carefully numbered and catalogued, but without DNA testing, definitive identification is often impossible,” he added.

Families in limbo

Current forensic resources in Gaza are limited, with only three experts available in the southern region and none in the northern, explained Dr. Dhahir, adding that this shortage has put a strain on an already overburdened system, especially with the large amount of remains found after Israeli strikes.

For families like Abu Muhammed’s, the inability to locate or identify loved ones prolongs their grief. “We just want to know his fate,” Abu Muhammed said. “Even if only a bone remains of my son, we want to bury him and say goodbye.”

Forensic teams are facing increasing pressure, not only from families, but also because of the increasing number of remains. Dr. Dhahir emphasized the need for international assistance. “We urgently need DNA testing equipment and trained experts to help identify the victims. It’s not just about closure for families – it’s a humanitarian need,” he said.

As efforts continue, families cling to hope, no matter how faint. For Abu Muhammed, the search for his son has become a daily ritual, which he cannot abandon despite the emotional impact. “I lost count of the covers I opened. I don’t know if I’ll ever find it, but I’ll keep looking,” he said.

The tragedy of the unidentified remains underscores the wider human cost of the conflict. Behind the staggering number of deaths lies an equally painful reality: families left in limbo, searching for answers amid the ruins of their lives.

For many, closure seems like an elusive dream – a dream stolen by war and a lack of resources to heal the wounds.

This work was published in collaboration with Egab.