Gaza – SABA:
The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs in Gaza announced on Wednesday evening that graves have been completely depleted across most areas of the Strip, as the Israeli aggression continues and the number of martyrs rises. The ministry stated that the tragic reality has forced families to use hospital courtyards, schools, and residential areas as emergency burial sites.
In a statement, the ministry reported that since October 2023, the enemy has completely or partially destroyed over 40 cemeteries and prevented civilians from accessing many graveyards located within its military-controlled zones. This has led to the exhaustion of existing burial grounds and a severe shortage of available space.
The ministry emphasized that the ongoing siege and the blockade on funeral shrouds, construction materials, and essential burial supplies have deprived martyrs of their right to a proper Islamic burial.
It further noted that the enemy’s forced evacuation and displacement orders toward the so-called "Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone" have reduced available burial space, resulting in the piling up of martyrs' bodies in hospitals, which are already overwhelmed by the rising death toll.
The ministry appealed to Arab and Islamic nations, relief organizations, and charitable donors to join the "Dignity for Martyrs" campaign, which aims to build dignified, cost-free graves and provide essential burial supplies as an urgent humanitarian and religious priority.
Since the start of Israel's aggression on Gaza in October 2023, the population has faced catastrophic and worsening humanitarian conditions. With the death toll reaching tens of thousands, the burial crisis has become one of the most unprecedented challenges for Gaza’s society—especially amid the direct targeting of cemeteries, restricted access to burial sites, and the lack of essential burial materials.
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