In Gaza, the dead cannot be properly buried as Israel's assault continues

Like living people, the dead in the Gaza Strip are in need of a safe place, but the continuous Israeli bombardment undermines efforts to find them any.

Since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the number of deaths has reached 1,815. That number is increasing; and yet at the same time, there are not enough tombs for the dead. Therefore, families of the dead are obliged to bury their beloved in old and used tombs.

Al-Ghad newspaper describes how dozens of members of the Rajab family arrived in the old cemetery in central Gaza city to bury their son, who was killed in an Israeli attack on Shejayia market last Wednesday. The cemetery is an old one and burial there has been banned for a long time.

“In Gaza, we are unable to live with dignity or die with dignity,” Mohamed, the brother of the dead man said. “We even do not have any place on the land.”

A volunteer who helps people burying the dead told the newspaper: “There is no tomb for this one. They will wait a long time until they find an empty tomb for him. This is an old cemetery, but the situation of the war obliges people to do this.”

Other people came at the same time trying to find an empty tomb for their son, but instead had to use an old tomb where a relative is also buried.

The main cemetery for the people in Gaza is located in the very east of the city. It is very big, but the Israeli occupation forces ban people from approaching it.

Gaza’s awqaf official Ramzi Nawajha said that his ministry is allowing the people to use the old cemetery, which had previously been closed for a long time due to lack of space, because there is no access to the main cemetery in the east of the city.

He said: “Even people could go there, they will still not find any tombs because there are no construction materials to build new burials.”

In the same old cemetery, the Al-Silk family came with four members killed by the Israeli bombardment. Two of the dead were children, and so they were buried together in one tomb.