In the early morning hours, Mu’ayyad Ajjour and his neighbor Mohamed Zaida embarked on their daily search in Gaza City for the remains of Ajjour’s five-year-old cousin, Masa, who was trapped under the rubble of a building where her family sought shelter during the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that commenced in October.
Ajjour, aged 37, secured ropes to a black mixing dish’s handles while Zaida, aged 17, ventured into a deep crevice he had excavated within the rubble. Using makeshift tools fashioned into a pulley system, Zaida maneuvered the dish down the tunnel to collect debris, signaling Ajjour to retrieve it and sift through the contents using a fan cover.
The atmosphere was eerily quiet, punctuated only by the scraping sounds of the dish moving over the debris. The building, a three-story structure struck by an airstrike in March 2024, loomed precariously above Zaida amidst his unstable tunnel reinforced by stacks of concrete blocks. Despite the imminent risk of collapse, Zaida persisted in his search for any trace of the child’s remains.
Masa’s body was just one of the numerous casualties believed to be entombed beneath the wreckage of devastated structures throughout the region following the prolonged conflict. During the fragile truce in Gaza, families are diligently scouring the debris with limited resources to locate and properly bury their lost loved ones.
On a Saturday morning, searchers frantically contacted Masa’s mother and grandfathers, informing them of the discovery of a skull and clothing items resembling Masa’s description. The unearthed remains, including a skull with hair tufts, a red earring still adorning her ear, and a tattered pink sweater, were tenderly wrapped in a white blanket.
Karim Al-Suwaireki, Masa’s maternal grandfather, expressed gratitude upon identifying her remains, remarking on the emotional impact of the moment. Ajjour, a member of the search team, reflected on the poignant scene, emphasizing the relief and closure of finally locating the young girl for a proper burial.
In March 2024, Masa and her family sought refuge in a residential building that was later raided and bombed, resulting in casualties as reported to CBC’s freelance videographer Mohamed El Saife. Masa’s father, wounded by gunfire, remains missing, while her pregnant mother recuperates from injuries at Al-Shifa Hospital, tragically losing the unborn child.
Ajjour and Zaida diligently combed through the rubble daily from early morning until dusk, driven by the hope of finding any remnants of Masa. Prior to the discovery of her remains, their progress had been minimal due to inadequate tools, leading them to tirelessly persevere in their search efforts.
The grim reality of an estimated 11,000 bodies still buried beneath Gaza’s debris underscores the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict. The UN Development Program initiated rubble removal operations in Gaza City to restore vital services, acknowledging the monumental task of clearing an estimated 55 to 60 million tonnes of rubble that may span several years.
Despite the challenges and heart-wrenching discoveries, Ajjour and Zaida remained resolute in their mission to bring closure to Masa’s family. Reflecting on the poignant moment of finding Masa’s shoe, Ajjour emphasized the importance of perseverance and hope in the face of adversity.
As the day drew to a close, the two men, exhausted and dirt-streaked, sat amidst the debris, contemplating the tragic fate of a young life lost in the conflict. For Ajjour, the search for Masa’s father, still missing, remained a somber reminder of the ongoing anguish endured by families torn apart by the war.
In a poignant moment of closure, Ajjour stood over Masa’s remains, acknowledging the end of the search for the young girl, a poignant reminder of the war’s toll. With unwavering determination, Ajjour vowed to honor Masa’s memory through a dignified burial, while holding onto hope for the safe reunion with her father.
