In Gaza City, Mu’ayyad Ajjour and Mohamed Zaida began their daily search early in the morning, seeking the remains of Masa, Ajjour’s five-year-old cousin, who was buried under the rubble of a building following an Israeli airstrike in March 2024. Using basic tools, the two men, aged 37 and 17 respectively, have been diligently digging through the debris since the ceasefire took effect in October.
Zaida ventured into the unstable rubble, while Ajjour operated a pulley system to extract debris for inspection. The painstaking search, amidst the silence broken only by the scraping of the bowl over the rubble, aimed to find Masa and other victims of the conflict, whose bodies are believed to be trapped beneath the ruins.
After days of relentless effort, a breakthrough came when searchers discovered what appeared to be Masa’s remains – a skull with distinctive features and clothing matching her description. The emotional moment brought relief to Masa’s family, confirming her fate and allowing them to provide her with a proper burial.
The search for Masa symbolizes the broader tragedy in Gaza, where thousands of individuals are still buried under the remnants of destroyed structures. Ajjour and Zaida’s tireless dedication to the task, despite the lack of advanced equipment, highlights the ongoing challenges faced by families seeking closure and proper burials for their loved ones.
As the fragile ceasefire persists, efforts to unearth and identify the victims trapped under the rubble continue. The arduous process not only seeks to bring closure to grieving families but also serves as a reminder of the human toll exacted by the conflict in Gaza.
The search for Masa and the countless others buried in the debris is a poignant reminder of the lasting scars left by the conflict, with families clinging to hope amid the devastation. The selfless determination of individuals like Ajjour and Zaida sheds light on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable loss and destruction.