From ceasefire to corpses — the macabre story of Gaza’s deceased. The fragile ceasefire persists, violated at times but with a much-reduced death count. Palestinians can sleep at night, their ears no longer hammered by the sinister buzzing of Israeli drones and blasts of bombs terrifying every surviving soul. The exchange of living hostages and detainees was surprisingly smooth, given the circumstances and lack of trust. Yet it is the dead that have proven more problematic. Israel has threatened punishment for Hamas, which typically means all Palestinians in Gaza, if the remaining 16 hostage bodies are not returned.

Hamas claims it cannot locate them. One can never be sure if this is true but the extenuating circumstances make the claim look pretty credible. The UN estimates that more than 61 million tonnes of rubble now decorate Gaza, enough to build 15 Great Pyramids of Giza or 25 Eiffel Towers by volume. This is not just any old rubble but collapsed homes, hospitals, schools, libraries and bakeries, all of which is at risk of dangerous contamination from unexploded ordnance or toxins such as asbestos. Hamas has requested assistance and the provision of vital equipment such as diggers. Again, that is surely fair. It needs fuel........

© The Frontier Post (Editorial)