Gaza Conflict: Palestinians wear ID bracelets to avoid burial in mass graves

According to locals in Gaza, Palestinians are burying the unidentified dead in mass graves with a number in place of a name because there are so many bodies there. In an effort to locate their loved ones in the event of their death, some families are now employing bracelets.

The El-Daba family has made an effort to lessen their chance of being hit during the most intense Israeli assault of Gaza to date. After 1,400 people were killed and hostages were captured on October 7, when Hamas militants assaulted Israeli communities, Israel began the airstrikes.

The bombing, according to 40-year-old Ali El-Daba, tore apart victims that were unrecognisable.

In order to keep his family from passing away all at once, he claimed to have divided them. He claimed that after moving to Khan Younis in the south with three more children, his 42-year-old wife Lina maintained two of their sons and two girls in Gaza City.

El-Daba claimed that he was getting ready for the worst. For his family members, he purchased blue string bracelets that he wrapped around both wrists. “If something happens,” he responded, “this way I will recognise them.”

Other Palestinian families could be seen purchasing or manufacturing bracelets for their kids, as well as writing the names of the youngsters on their arms.

Local Muslim clerics have approved mass graves. Before burying the deceased, medical professionals preserve their blood samples and give them numbers.

One of the world’s most densely inhabited regions, the northern Gaza Strip, has been ordered by the Israeli military to evacuate in favour of the safer southern portion. However, airstrikes have reached the Hamas-controlled area.

An Israeli military spokesperson said: “The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has been encouraging residents of the northern Gaza Strip to move southward and not to stay in the vicinity of Hamas terror targets within Gaza City.”

“But, ultimately, Hamas has entrenched itself among the civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip. So wherever a Hamas target arises, the IDF will strike at it in order to thwart the terrorist capabilities of the group, while taking feasible precautions to mitigate the harm to uninvolved civilians.”

Following one of the deadliest days for Palestinians since October 7, Israel’s military increased the intensity of its bombing in southern Gaza overnight. Leaders from around the world have demanded that the combat stop so that supplies of food, gasoline, water, and medications can reach the besieged area.

Gaza’s health ministry announced on Wednesday that 756 Palestinians, including 344 children, had died in the previous twenty-four hours. According to the report, since October 7, at least 6,546 Palestinians—including 2,704 children—have died as a result of Israeli airstrikes.

(With agency inputs)