Gaza has run out of graves – and is having to ask the world for help to bury its dead children

In a scene that transcends the limits of humanitarian disaster, Gaza has issued a heartbreaking appeal, not for medicine or food, but for the world to provide it with enough graves to bury its martyrs who fall every day under the Israeli bombardment that has been ongoing for nearly two years.

“No more graves in Gaza”

“There are no more graves in Gaza,” the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs said in its latest statement, confirming that the cemeteries are full, the land is running out, and there is no place left to bury the bodies that are piling up in hospitals, on the streets, and in the arms of mothers.

The Israeli aggression that began in October 2023 has left nothing but destruction in its wake: people, trees, stones, and even cemeteries. More than 40 cemeteries have been completely or partially destroyed, while the occupation forces prevent access to other cemeteries located within what they call “security zones,” leaving almost no burial options and forcing residents to resort to schoolyards, homes, and even the outskirts of camps to bury their loved ones.

Gaza: dignity violated even in death

Everywhere in the Gaza Strip today, there are endless stories of pain, but the most cruel story is that of a person who dies and cannot find a grave. The family of a martyr searches for a grave to lay him to rest, but finds none. The body is wrapped in a rough cloth shroud and buried in the rubble of a house or behind a school wall, simply because “there are no more graves.”

The Ministry of Awqaf spoke about the cost of burying a martyr, which now exceeds 1,000 shekels (equivalent to $250), given the scarcity of basic materials and the high prices of alternatives, such as stones extracted from destroyed buildings and mud as a substitute for cement. But even these solutions are no longer sufficient.

Multiple campaigns

In light of this disaster, the ministry launched the “Ikram” campaign, which aims to build free graves worthy of the victims of this long war. It is a sincere appeal to the Arab and Islamic world, to countries, charitable institutions, and to those with compassionate hearts: help Gaza bury its martyrs.

As the battle intensifies and the sky lights up with shelling, Gaza has become a city fighting for the right to a grave. A city that does not ask for life, but asks for what preserves the dignity of its dead.

Voices from under the rubble

In the midst of this crisis, some initiatives have emerged that offer a glimmer of hope, such as the “Algerian Waqf Cemetery” built by the Algerian Al-Baraka Association, which contains more than a thousand free graves in Khan Yunis, in addition to local donations from generous men who have provided graves for those in need. However, despite their greatness, these efforts are not enough in the face of the magnitude of the tragedy.

In Gaza today, life is no longer the only hope. The simple dream has become for the martyr to be buried with dignity, and for his body not to remain in the open or on a cold bed in a besieged hospital.

Featured image via the Canary