cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43092791

Abdel Qader Sabbah and Sharif Abdel Kouddous
Feb 10, 2026

Hammad spent weeks clearing away tons of rubble and then began to dig. “I was able to recover my brother, his wife, and their children. When I reached the living room in my home, it became clear that it was completely burned. I realized that the fate of my children was unknown—that they were burned and their bones had melted away. I then went to the room where my wife had been and I found her bones,” Hammad told Drop Site News. “How did I know it was my wife? First, the location of the room. Second, the bones of the unborn child were found in the same place, because the pregnancy was complete.”

He spoke crouching in a large hole, several feet deep, surrounded by the remnants of his destroyed home. Neighbors helped in the effort, digging with shovels, hoes, and their bare hands through the earth before placing small mounds in a sifter for him to sort through.

“I am now collecting her piece by piece. With what? With this sifter. This sifter is normally used to sift flour… Today, I am using it to collect the bones of my wife and children,” he continued.