Palestinian civilians say widespread rubble, ongoing Israeli strikes, and access restrictions are hindering search-and-recovery efforts, with about 8,000 people reported missing and roughly 61 million tonnes of rubble complicating identification.

International humanitarian law requires parties to conduct search and recovery and preserve information about the dead, but access to affected areas and heavy machinery has been severely constrained by the so-called yellow line and ongoing security concerns.

Recovery work in Gaza is slowed by limited heavy equipment—only a few excavators and bulldozers—ongoing unexploded ordnance, and deteriorating medical and forensic infrastructure that prevents DNA testing, forcing authorities to rely on partial methods like blood typing.

Civil Defense and aid workers describe emotional and psychological distress among missing relatives, with families holding onto photos and belongings while hoping for future identification as DNA capabilities become possible.

The October 2025 ceasefire plan established a 'yellow line' that restricts access to burial sites, hampering families’ ability to locate or bury relatives buried under rubble.

The Shalayel family in Gaza suffered a catastrophic building collapse after an explosion on November 1, 2024, leaving relatives missing and presumed dead amid ongoing Israeli military operations in northern Gaza.