'All we wanted was to bury him': How a Gaza family struggled to recover their dead son

'All we wanted was to bury him': How a Gaza family struggled to recover their dead son

Since the October ceasefire, the Gaza Strip has effectively been divided into areas with vastly different levels of access and control.

The so-called Yellow Line, introduced on 10 October, became the main reference point for the areas where Israeli forces remained deployed. Covering more than 60 percent of Gaza’s territory, the line has in practice confined the majority of Palestinians to a limited area where population density and humanitarian needs have intensified. 

Israeli forces later installed yellow concrete markers along sections of the boundary, including in places that appeared to extend beyond the original line.

Palestinians who approach or attempt to cross the line are routinely shot by Israeli forces.

Scores have been killed along the line since the ceasefire took effect.

Because the area has been declared off limits, many families have been unable to recover relatives killed near or beyond the line, leaving bodies stranded for weeks or even months.

While families, journalists and humanitarian organisations have documented dozens of cases, the true scale remains unknown.

Muhammed was one of them, where his body remained out of reach for days.

Read more: 'All we wanted was to bury him': How a Gaza family struggled to recover their dead son

Mourners weep next to the body of one of the Palestinians killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on 21 July 2026 (Omar al-Qattaa/AFP) ...