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.