The Palestinian Envoy Requests International Assistance to Free Thousands in Gaza Buried Under Debris

According to Palestine’s envoy to Nigeria, Gaza’s vital infrastructure has sustained damage estimated at $18.5 billion.

Following an extended Israeli military assault on Gaza, Mr. Abdullah Shawesh, the ambassador of Palestine to Nigeria, has made a plea to the world community to help rescue thousands of Palestinians who might still be trapped beneath wreckage.

Speaking to the media about the Israeli military’s continuous assault on Gaza, the ambassador claimed that many of the 13,000 Palestinians who are said to be missing in the Gaza Strip may still be under the rubble, alive or dead.

“Urgent international action is needed to set up special mechanisms and specialized teams to remove debris from homes and buildings that Israel’s army has bombed,” he stated. “It is also necessary to retrieve thousands of dead bodies stuck under the rubble and rescue those who are trapped alive.”

“13,000 Palestinians are reportedly missing in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

Additionally, the ambassador from Palestine stated that the current state of damage to vital infrastructure is estimated to be around $18.5 billion.

According to Shawesh, who was citing a joint report from the UN and the World Bank, the sum represents 97% of the nation’s GDP.

He emphasized that 75% of the population is displaced and that more than a million people lack a place to live.

According to him, the majority of people do not have access to healthcare facilities anymore because 84% of the nation’s healthcare facilities have been destroyed, and the education system has failed, forcing all children out of school.

According to Shawesh, as of April 12, 2024, there had been at least 76,214 injuries and no fewer than 33,634 Palestinian deaths in the Gaza Strip.

In the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, he claimed, over 462 Palestinians also lost their lives.

By Tuesday, April 9, he continued, there were 8,165 Palestinians detained since October 7—165 of them were from the occupied West Bank alone. Of them, 272 were women, 500 were minors, and 66 were journalists, 45 of whom were still under arrest and 24 of whom had been placed in administrative custody.