The use of ice cream freezer trucks as makeshift morgues in Gaza highlights the dire situation faced by hospitals and cemeteries due to the surge in casualties from the ongoing conflict between Hamas and the Israeli army.

In the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, health officials are facing a grim reality as they struggle to find space for the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli air strikes. With hospitals unable to accommodate the increasing number of casualties and cemeteries running out of space, they have resorted to using ice cream freezer trucks as temporary morgues.

Dr. Yasser Ali of the Shuhada Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir Al-Balah explained that the hospital morgue can only hold 10 bodies, which is far from sufficient given the high number of casualties. To address this issue, ice cream freezers from local factories have been brought in to store the bodies of the deceased.

The freezer trucks, which still bear advertisements of smiling children enjoying ice cream cones, are normally used for delivering ice cream to supermarkets. However, in the current devastating war between Hamas and the Israeli army, they have been repurposed to serve as makeshift morgues.

The situation in Gaza is dire, with Israeli air strikes causing a significant number of casualties. Authorities in Gaza reported that more than 2,300 people, including a quarter of them children, have been killed, and almost 10,000 have been wounded so far. Hospitals are overwhelmed and lacking supplies, struggling to cope with the growing number of wounded individuals.

Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas in response to the group’s deadly attack on Israeli towns, which resulted in the deaths of 1,300 people. As the conflict continues, the death toll in Gaza is expected to rise sharply.

Dr. Ali emphasized the severity of the crisis, stating that even with the use of the ice cream freezers, the number of bodies exceeds the capacity of the main morgue and alternative options. Between 20 and 30 bodies are being kept in tents due to the lack of space.

The situation is so dire that authorities in Gaza City are preparing mass graves to accommodate the increasing number of deceased individuals. Signs of change are already appearing on the bodies of those kept in the morgues, as their relatives have been unable to bury them. Additionally, a mass grave has been prepared in the emergency cemetery to bury approximately 100 martyrs.

The use of ice cream freezer trucks as temporary morgues sheds light on the urgent need for more resources and support in Gaza. The ongoing conflict has overwhelmed healthcare facilities and burial grounds, leaving health officials with no choice but to resort to unconventional methods to manage the growing number of casualties. This devastating situation highlights the urgent need for a resolution to the conflict and humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza.