Gaza: Rescue workers search for missing bodies as truce enters second day

Rescue workers are searching rubble throughout Gaza in the hopes of recovering the remains of those missing.
17 min read
20 January, 2025
Last Update
21 January, 2025 03:28 AM

Palestinians began searching on Monday for thousands of Gazans believed still buried under rubble, as residents expressed shock at the devastation wrought by 15 months of war on the enclave on the second day of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The truce in the 15-month-old conflict, which has laid waste to the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East, took effect on Sunday with the release of the first three hostages held by Hamas and 90 Palestinians freed from Israeli jails.

Rescue workers said on Monday that at least 97 bodies had been recovered from the southern city of Rafah, amid efforts to find the remains of those missing or buried under rubble.

"We are searching for 10,000 martyrs whose bodies remain under the rubble," said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson of the Palestinian Civil Emergency Services.

At least 2,840 bodies were melted and there were no traces of them, he said.

Gazans are still returning home across Gaza - particularly the north - only to be met by rubble and ruined homes. UN estimates say that at least 92 percent of homes in the war-battered Strip are destroyed or damaged.

 

12:05 AM

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Trump: 'We're going to stop some wars'
12:03 AM
The New Arab Staff

Addressing the crowd at a stadium in Washington DC, Trump said, "We're going to stop some wars", referring to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, asserting that the wars would never have happened were he in charge.

Trump welcomes home captives returned from Gaza
11:29 PM
The New Arab Staff

In his speech, Trump welcomed home the captives who returned to the United States after being held in Gaza.

He mentioned the captives that died and that prayers for them have never stopped.

Trump shakes hands with captive families' hands
11:24 PM
The New Arab Staff

Donald Trump shook the hands of the captives' families after being sworn in as the 47th President of the US.

Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff also introduced the relatives to the crowd and invited them on stage. They then shook hands with Vice President JD Vance, his wife, President Trump and his wife, Melania.

Syria's de facto leader congratulates Trump
10:30 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration in a statement on Monday. He said he is looking forward to improving relations between the two countries.

"We are confident that he is the leader to bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region," he said.

(Reuters)

Trump to lift pause on 2,000-pound bomb supply to Israel
10:00 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

US President Donald Trump is expected to lift the Biden administration's freeze on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in his first days in office, Walla News reported on Monday, citing an interview with the Israeli envoy to Washington.

Trump is also expected to reverse sanctions the Biden administration imposed against Israeli settlers accused of violent attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Israeli ambassador to the US Mike Herzog told Walla News.

(Reuters)

UN says 915 aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday
9:41 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 915 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday.

OCHA cited information from Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement.

(Reuters)

Netanyahu vows to quash Gaza 'threat' on second day of truce
9:00 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC in connections to war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, on Monday vowed Gaza would never again pose a threat to Israel, as a tense calm prevailed on the second day of a truce in the Palestinian territory.

In a video message on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump for helping to secure the hostage release deal and once more vowed to "return the remaining hostages... and to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel".

58 Palestinian bodies recovered in Rafah
8:30 PM
The New Arab Staff

Gaza's rescue teams and residents have retrieved 58 Palestinian bodies from under the rubble in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip - Wafa reports.

The publication's correspondent says the number of bodies recovered from the city now stands at 137 since the ceasefire began on Sunday at 11.15 local time.

Relatives urge release of remaining captives
8:03 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The relatives of the three Israeli captives released from Gaza by Hamas called on Monday for all those remaining in the territory to be freed.

Speaking at a press conference at the Sheba hospital where the three women are being treated, they gave no details on the conditions in which their relatives had been held for 471 days or on their health.

Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher were released on Sunday as part of the first round of exchanges that also saw around 90 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails.

Protests surrounding Donald Trump's inauguration
7:49 PM
Brooke Anderson

"Thousands of people are marching through the streets of DC to show that Trump will not be able to get away with his far-right, billionaire agenda without a fight," Walter Smolarek with ANSWER Coalition told The New Arab. 

"People are holding signs and banners raising demands around many struggles — workers’ rights, anti-racism, women’s equality, immigrant rights, anti-war, and more — but are all united against Trump and in favor of vision for a whole new system."

Trump Protest 20 Jan
President Abbas congratulates President Trump
7:30 PM
The New Arab Staff

President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration.

“We stand ready to work with you to achieve peace during your tenure, guided by the two-state solution based on international legitimacy," Abbas said.

"This vision seeks the establishment of the State of Palestine and the State of Israel living side by side in peace and security."

Security forces operating in Gaza following ceasefire
7:03 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Police and security forces were operating in Gaza on Monday, the second day of a ceasefire with Israel in the war-battered territory, AFP journalists saw.

Hamas's deputy interior minister for the territory, Mahmud Abu Watfah, inspected armed police, some in fatigues and others dressed in black, before they patrolled the bombed-out streets of Gaza City.

"We care about the comfort and protection of those who sacrificed with the resistance and paid a heavy price for this bloody war," Abu Watfah said.

He said they also wanted "to control the situation on the ground in case of any chaos. This was achieved from the first hour of the deployment of the ministry of interior (forces) and the security forces."

Israel buries soldier killed in Gaza more than 10 years ago
6:30 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

An Israeli soldier killed during the 2014 war in the Gaza Strip was buried on Monday in Israel after his remains were recovered from the Palestinian territory by the army over the weekend.

Oron Shaul was 21 years old when the military vehicle he was in was blown up during an operation in Gaza City on July 20, 2014, claiming his life and those of six other soldiers.

Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, whose remains are still in Gaza, have been the focus of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for years.

Shaul's body was retrieved by Israeli forces during a special military operation over the weekend, according to the army.

Netanyahu tells Trump 'best days' of alliance yet to come
6:09 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration Monday, telling him in a video message the "best days of our alliance are yet to come".

Praising Trump's pro-Israel policies during his first term, Netanyahu said: "I believe that working together again we will raise the US-Israel alliance to even greater heights."

"I'm confident that we will complete the defeat of Iran's terror axis and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for our region," Netanyahu added, in reference to Tehran's allied militant groups including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

He also thanked Trump for helping to secure a hostage release deal as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement that came into force on Sunday.

"I look forward to working with you to return the remaining hostages, to destroy Hamas's military capabilities and end its political rule in Gaza, and to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel."

'America's decline is over': Trump at inauguration
5:27 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

President Donald Trump declared Monday that America's "decline is over," framing his return to power as a rejection of the "radical and corrupt" establishment he claimed defined Joe Biden's presidency.

"My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom," Trump said. "From this moment on, America's decline is over."

Trump takes oath as 47th US president
5:04 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Donald Trump takes oath as 47th US president.

Trump arrives at US Capitol for inauguration
4:38 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Donald Trump arrived at the US Capitol where he will be sworn in as the 47th president on Monday.

"Good morning," Trump said as he entered the Capitol accompanied by President Joe Biden. Asked how they felt, Biden responded, "Well".

Longest-serving Palestinian among prisoners to be deported
4:12 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The longest-serving Palestinian inmate in Israeli jail,is among more than 200 Palestinians set to be released under the Gaza ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners swap.

Nael Barghouti, 67, has spent 44 years incarcerated by Israel, more than any other Palestinian. Jailed in 1978 for killing an Israeli bus driver, he was freed in 2011 in a previous swap but re-arrested three years later and held ever since.

Israel has said that Palestinians who have been convicted of killing Israelis must be permanently deported if they are freed under the Gaza ceasefire agreement, and will not be allowed to return to homes in the occupied West Bank.

Barghouti is one of 217 prisoners on a list from the Israeli justice ministry, cited by the Palestinian prisoners' association, of those to be sent abroad.

His wife Eman Nafe, herself a former prisoner who spent 10 years in Israeli jail accused of plotting a suicide attack, said she thought he might reject release if it meant being sent abroad: "I am sure he will refuse this," she told Reuters.

Israel annexing W Bank would be 'most serious violation': UN
4:10 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

A total or partial annexation of the West Bank by Israel "would constitute a most serious violation of international law," the United Nations chief warned Monday, denouncing statements by Israeli officials suggesting such a move.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a Security Council meeting on the Middle East that the region was undergoing "profound transformation," and that the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants offered a "ray of hope."

But he expressed worry over a situation in the occupied West Bank that "continues to worsen," with clashes, airstrikes and "unabated illegal settlement expansion" by Israelis.

"Senior Israeli officials openly speak of formally annexing all or part of the West Bank in the coming months," Guterres said.

"Any such annexation would constitute a most serious violation of international law."

Trump and Biden head to US Capitol together
3:56 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

US President Joe Biden and his successor Donald Trump left the White House together on Monday for the Capitol building, where the Republican president-elect will take the oath of office.

The two men were seated in a vehicle together en route to the Capitol, where a ceremony to swear Trump in as the 47th president of the United States is due to begin in the coming hour.

Over 630 aid trucks entered Gaza on first day of ceasefire
3:42 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

More than 630 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council, with at least 300 of those trucks going to the enclave's north, where the UN says famine looms.

12.5 mn litres of fuel to be delivered to Gaza over 10 days
3:33 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Qatar announced on Monday that 12.5 million litres of fuel would be delivered to the Gaza Strip over the first 10 days of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

"Qatar launched a land corridor to provide Gaza with 12.5 million litres of fuel during the first 10 days of the ceasefire" that came into effect on Sunday, the Qatari foreign ministry said, adding that the energy-rich Gulf country sent 25 fuel trucks to the Palestinian territory on Monday.

 

Flow of aid to Gaza could take time: International Rescue
3:06 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The flow of aid into Gaza could take time to ramp up, chief of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband said on Monday, as relief trucks conducted a second day of deliveries following the start of the ceasefire.

The deal requires 600 truckloads of aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the initial six-week ceasefire, including 50 carrying fuel.

"That’s a big step up," said Miliband, speaking to Reuters in London. "I fear… it will take time. We want to ramp up as quickly as possible."

He said the IRC in Gaza is focused particularly on water and sanitation, child protection and other healthcare.

"What counts is the medicine that gets through, the water… the fuel… the aid workers... and whether they get through safely," he said, referring to issues with looting and security threats to deliveries that have been a problem during the 15-month war, when aid to Gaza has been extremely limited.

In line with other humanitarian leaders, Miliband said that funding was also needed for a sustained response in Gaza, for what he described as "the biggest (aid) surge you can imagine, because it’s a massive emergency".

Earlier, U.N aid chief Tom Fletcher said 630 trucks had entered Gaza on day one of the ceasefire.

Italian foreign minister meets Israeli, Palestinian leaders
2:46 PM
The New Arab Staff

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has visited top Israeli and Palestinian officials in visits to Israel and the occupied West Bank, two days into the ceasefire.

Tajani met with Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Mustafa, as well as his counterpart Gideon Sa'ar.

Following the meeting, he wrote in a post on X: "Italy wants to reaffirm its commitment to build a future of peace in the region and is ready to do its part in Gaza’s reconstruction through its humanitarian Food for Gaza initiative.

Hamas says Gaza 'will rise again' after Israeli destruction
2:04 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Hamas said on Monday that Gaza and its people "will rise again" and rebuild the territory battered by more than 15 months of Israeli bombardment.

"Gaza, with its great people and its resilience, will rise again to rebuild what the occupation has destroyed and continue on the path of steadfastness until the occupation is defeated," Hamas said in a statement issued on the second day of a ceasefire with Israel.

"Over the course of 471 days, the systematic crimes of the occupation have failed to dissuade our people and their valiant resistance from clinging to the land and confronting the aggression."

 

Remains of at least 97 bodies recovered in Rafah
1:18 PM
The New Arab Staff

Medical sources say that the remains of at least 97 bodies were recovered in Rafah and transferred to the European Gaza Hospital, Al Jazeera said, amid efforts to recover the bodies of those missing since the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect.

 

 

Rescue workers begin search for people under rubble
12:40 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Palestinian Emergency Services said on Monday that a search is underway for thousands of Palestinians believed buried under rubble, as Gaza's residents expressed shock at the devastation on the second day of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

"We are searching for 10,000 martyrs whose bodies remain under the rubble," said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson of the Palestinian Civil Emergency Services.

At least 2,840 bodies were melted and there were no traces of them, he said.

 

47,035 Palestinians killed in Gaza war since October 7, 2023
12:17 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

At least 47,035 Palestinians have been killed and 111,091 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since October 7, 2023, the Gaza health ministry said on Monday.

The ministry added that in the past 24 hours, 60 people were killed and another 62 bodies were recovered.

Israel has devastated much of the Gaza Strip since the start of its war in 2023 [Getty]
Palestinian security officers deployed in northern Gaza
12:10 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies
Palestinian security officers deployed in northern Gaza to maintain security following ceasefire announcement [Getty]

 

Security forces deployed in many parts of Gaza after the ceasefire a
Palestinian security officer begin working in Gaza Strip to maintain security, following ceasefire deal [Getty]

 

Palestinian security officer deployed in Gaza to maintain security in first following ceasefire [Getty]
Smotrich says Israel should occupy Gaza, blasts army chief
11:33 AM
The New Arab Staff

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in an interview with Army Radio that Israel "should occupy and reconquer the Gaza Strip" on Monday.

"We need to conquer the entire Strip and establish military rule there. I want a Chief of Staff who understands that this is his mission, who stands behind it and is determined to implement it," he added, arguing that Herzi Halevi was not the right fir to lead the Israeli military.

"There's no third party that can control the Strip, it's a bluff," Smotrich said. "We need to control Gaza for at least one to two years, with a combined military and civilian effort, until we eliminate Hamas and the population stops fearing it."

Captive Emily Damari 'happiest in the world' after release
10:58 AM
The New Arab Staff

Released hostage Emily Damari "is in much better health than we expected," her mother Mandy said in a statement on Monday, as cited by The Times of Israel.

"Yesterday, I finally got to hug Emily, just as I had dreamed of doing for a long time. She is the happiest woman in the world; she has her life back," she said.

 

 

 

Emily Damari greets family following her release from Gaza [Getty]
OCHA: 92 percent of homes in Gaza destroyed, damage
10:24 AM
The New Arab Staff

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday that 92 percent of homes in the Gaza Strip were destroyed or damaged as a result of Israel's military onslaught.

The percentage amounts to around 436,000 homes.

Most of Gaza's homes have been destroyed and damaged by Israel's war [Getty]
Tice's mother: Syria leaders determined to find missing son
9:44 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The mother of US journalist Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria in 2012, said on Monday in Damascus that the war-torn country's new leadership was committed to finding him.

"I have been privileged to meet with the new leadership of Syria," Debra Tice told journalists in the Syrian capital, adding: "It was so wonderful to learn that they are dedicated and determined to bring home my son, and your son."

Houthi rebels signal they will limit attacks in Red Sea
9:27 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Yemen's Houthi rebels signal they will limit attacks in the Red Sea corridor to Israeli-affiliated ships, amid the ceasefire deal in Gaza coming into effect.

Israeli army reservist killed in West Bank roadside bomb
9:10 AM
The New Arab Staff

An Israeli reservist was killed and two others were injured, after being hit by a roadside bomb in the occupied West Bank overnight on Sunday.

The soldier was named Eviatar Ben Yehuda, 31, of the Ephraim Regional Brigade’s 8211th Reserve Battalion, from Nitzan, the Times of Israel said.

According to an initial Israeli army probe, the soldiers were in a David light armored vehicle during a patrol in the town of Tamun, when a bomb was detonated against their vehicle.

 

British Airways to resume flights to Israel on 5 April
9:05 AM
The New Arab Staff

British Airways announced that they will resume flights to Israel starting from 5 April, Israeli media reported on Monday.

 

Initially, there will be one flight per day, later increasing to two flights daily, the reports added.

Paris determined to secure French-Israeli captives' release
8:46 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

France will keep fighting to obtain the release of the two French-Israeli nationals held in Gaza, foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told BFM TV on Monday.

"We will continue to fight until the last hour for their release," Barrot told BFM TV, adding France had "no news on their health status nor on the terms of their detention".

Hamas released three Israeli captives and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, on the first day of a ceasefire suspending a 15-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East.

French-Israeli nationals Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi are expected to be on the list of 33 hostages to be released in the first phase of the draft Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.

China 'welcomes' Gaza ceasefire coming into effect
8:34 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

China on Monday hailed the start of a long-awaited truce aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in Gaza.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas formally entered into force on Sunday, paving the way for the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages.

A spokeswoman for Beijing's foreign ministry said "China welcomes the Gaza ceasefire agreement coming into effect".

"We hope that the agreement will be fully and continuously implemented, and that a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza will be achieved," Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.

"China will continue to work with the international community to promote peace and stability in the Middle East," she said.

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinians celebrate the release of prisoners following the ceasefire deal [Getty]
UNRWA chief hails 'good first day' of Gaza ceasefire
8:25 AM
The New Arab Staff

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said "people Gaza can "now hear the sounds of children at play rather than bombs," after a ceasefire officially began in Gaza.

 
Describing a "good first day of the ceasefire", Lazzarini said flows of aid and some commercial supplies went smoothly on Sunday.
"The ceasefire must continue to hold and all elements of the agreement must be implemented," Lazzarini said on X, saying it was "a step in the right direction towards long-lasting peace and stability for all".

Palestinians return to destroyed homes
8:09 AM
The New Arab Staff

Palestinians in Gaza have started to return to their homes, with most of the population repeatedly displaced following the war on the enclave.

Many of their homes have been completely destroyed in the war, with much of Gaza in ruins after 15 months of Israeli shelling and bombing.

Ahmad al-Balawi, who returned to their home in Rafah, spoke of the devastation in the south of the enclave.

"As soon as I returned to the city, I felt a shock," he told AFP.

"Decomposing bodies, rubble, and destruction everywhere. Entire areas have been completely wiped out."

ICRC says mission to free Israeli captives 'complex'
8:05 AM
The New Arab Staff

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has noted the complexity of facilitating the release of captives held by Israel and Hamas, as part of a truce deal for Gaza.

Three Israeli captives in Gaza and 90 Palestinian detainees in the occupied West Bank are being released as part of the deal.

"We are relieved that those released can be reunited with their loved ones," ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said.

"Ensuring their safe return and providing the necessary care at this critical moment is a great responsibility. This operation is a powerful example of how our role as a neutral actor between the warring sides can save and change lives, provided that the parties come to an agreement."

There will be other Israelis and Palestinians freed as the deal progresses.

Urgent aid trickles into besieged Gaza
8:00 AM
The New Arab Staff

The first aid trucks have started to trickle into the besieged West Bank as part of a truce deal between Hamas and Israel, which it is hoped will see an end to 15 months of war.

Around 600 trucks entered Gaza on Sunday, following a harrowing siege and bombardment of the enclave that has left tens of thousands dead, some from hunger and disease.

Gazans have gone without medicine, food, clean water, and other essentials throughout the war.