For Nooh al-Shaghnobi, the sounds of war still echo in his ears. It's been two years since Israel launched its genocidal assault on Gaza, killing thousands and destroying homes. For al-Shaghnabi, it started with a mission that haunts him to this day - rescuing bodies trapped under rubble near the Israeli border.
On September 17th, Israeli forces bombed a home in eastern Gaza City, killing over 30 people from one extended family. Most of their bodies were buried under the rubble. Al-Shaghnabi's team pulled out two dead girls and kept digging, crawling through collapsed floors to find more victims. He recalls walking 12 meters beneath the wreckage, feeling the ground shake from bombings above.
The Civil Defense force is an emergency response group administered by the Palestinian Ministry of Interior. With an estimated 900 personnel, it has lost roughly 90% of its operating capacity due to Israeli attacks. Without heavy equipment, recovery missions can take days. Al-Shaghnobi estimates there are still 10,000 bodies buried under rubble.
In a world where death seems inevitable, the sound of someone calling for help is enough to make anyone risk their life to save them. For al-Shaghnabi, it's this voice that drives him forward. He remembers hearing a young girl call out "I'm here. I'm here" from deep within the wreckage.
When his team finally reached Malak, she was unconscious with no pulse. Her eyes were open, her legs blue - she had passed away. Al-Shaghnabi tried to wake her up but it was too late. The sound of silence was deafening.
Al-Shaghnobi has spent seven years working for the Civil Defense force. Like many of his colleagues, he lives and eats at work. His family's home in western Gaza City was destroyed during the war, leaving them displaced in the south. He believes his aunt is among the 10,000 bodies still unrecovered.
Without DNA tests, workers rely on clothes, shoes, rings, and metal implants to identify bodies. The unknown ones go to a cemetery for the unnamed. After retrieving bodies, they write detailed papers describing the area where they were found so families can potentially identify their loved ones later.
For al-Shaghnabi, death is not just an event but a presence that surrounds him every day. "Death is certain," he says quoting Allah's verse on it. "As Muslims, we understand that what comes after is far better than what we endure here."
On September 17th, Israeli forces bombed a home in eastern Gaza City, killing over 30 people from one extended family. Most of their bodies were buried under the rubble. Al-Shaghnabi's team pulled out two dead girls and kept digging, crawling through collapsed floors to find more victims. He recalls walking 12 meters beneath the wreckage, feeling the ground shake from bombings above.
The Civil Defense force is an emergency response group administered by the Palestinian Ministry of Interior. With an estimated 900 personnel, it has lost roughly 90% of its operating capacity due to Israeli attacks. Without heavy equipment, recovery missions can take days. Al-Shaghnobi estimates there are still 10,000 bodies buried under rubble.
In a world where death seems inevitable, the sound of someone calling for help is enough to make anyone risk their life to save them. For al-Shaghnabi, it's this voice that drives him forward. He remembers hearing a young girl call out "I'm here. I'm here" from deep within the wreckage.
When his team finally reached Malak, she was unconscious with no pulse. Her eyes were open, her legs blue - she had passed away. Al-Shaghnabi tried to wake her up but it was too late. The sound of silence was deafening.
Al-Shaghnobi has spent seven years working for the Civil Defense force. Like many of his colleagues, he lives and eats at work. His family's home in western Gaza City was destroyed during the war, leaving them displaced in the south. He believes his aunt is among the 10,000 bodies still unrecovered.
Without DNA tests, workers rely on clothes, shoes, rings, and metal implants to identify bodies. The unknown ones go to a cemetery for the unnamed. After retrieving bodies, they write detailed papers describing the area where they were found so families can potentially identify their loved ones later.
For al-Shaghnabi, death is not just an event but a presence that surrounds him every day. "Death is certain," he says quoting Allah's verse on it. "As Muslims, we understand that what comes after is far better than what we endure here."
I mean, 10,000 bodies buried under rubble? It's like a nightmare from hell. I keep thinking about those two young girls he rescued - what was going through their minds as they called out for help? The fact that the Civil Defense force has lost most of its operating capacity is just heartbreaking... 
How can anyone live and work in such conditions? And to think, al-Shaghnabi's own family had to deal with losing their home during the war... it's like the world was turned upside down. I guess what gets me is that death is always lurking around the corner, but sometimes it's the smallest voice calling out for help that makes us want to keep going 
.
. I don’t know how many of us can say we'd put ourselves in those shoes and do the same thing 
. It’s heartbreaking to think about all the families who are still waiting for news about their loved ones, hoping that al-Shaghnabi's team might be able to find them 
.
i mean rescued bodies from under rubble is already super traumatic but then having a whole 10k bodies just left to recover and identify 
Nooh al-Shaghnobi's bravery and selflessness are giving me all the feels 
He risked his life to rescue those trapped under rubble, even when it seemed impossible 
I'm literally sending all my positive vibes to him and his team 
I gotta say, the story of Nooh al-Shaghnobi is heart-wrenching. The fact that his team has to dig through rubble for days, crawling through collapsed floors, is just devastating. I can imagine how tough it must be to come across a young girl who's already gone but still calls out for help. 
The fact that they have to write detailed papers just so families can potentially connect with their loved ones is just... *sigh*.
the sounds of war still echo in Nooh al-Shaghnobi's ears 2 yrs after Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza... it's heartbreaking to think about the 30+ people killed & their bodies buried under rubble 
. his team pulled out only 2 dead girls, but there are still 10k bodies left to recover 
.
. and even when they find someone, there are no guarantees they'll be alive 
. the voice that drives him forward is that of a young girl calling out for help 
... it's this hope that keeps him going.
. every life lost is a tragedy, and we must honor those who risk their lives to save others 
.
. We need to spread awareness about what's happening in Gaza and the struggles of people like Nooh al-Shaghnabi 
. We just need to support them and work towards a better future for everyone 
anyway, kudos to al-shaghnabi for keeping his cool in the face of all this trauma... i guess that's what happens when you live and eats at work 24/7 
and it's all cuz of israel's attacks 
u gotta see this bbc doco on the palestinian civil defense force & their heroics 
[
& they still gotta crawl through rubble to find bodies? that's some crazy stuff. i mean i get why he keeps digging but come on, the guy's been traumatized by his job for 7 yrs already 
. and the fact that his team has lost so many members due to israeli attacks just shows how devastating these conflicts are on human lives.
The thought of 10,000 bodies still under rubble is just devastating 
️
. The thought of so many people losing loved ones and left with nothing but dust and debris is just devastating 
.