This story at a glance…

1. Gaza’s main rescue service halted operations in the north after its crews came under attack.

2. Without emergency responders, residents now pull neighbors from rubble on their own.

3. Makeshift stretchers and civilian rescue efforts replace professional aid.

4. As conflict continues, international calls grow for greater humanitarian aid access.

Gazan Rescue Service Ceases Operations in the North

In northern Gaza, the once-steady response of emergency services has come to a grinding halt, leaving residents to rescue one another as the region faces intensified conflict. Last Thursday, Israeli airstrikes hit a residential area in Beit Lahia, and for those trapped beneath the rubble, no paramedics came to assist. Instead, neighbors like Mazen Ahmed and others scrambled to help, combing through debris with their hands, making makeshift stretchers from doors and planks, and carrying the wounded to nearby hospitals in private vehicles. With emergency teams gone, survivors of bombed buildings must now rely solely on the strength and resilience of their community.

Dwindling Rescue Resources
More than two weeks ago, Gaza’s Civil Defense—the main emergency and rescue organization in the Palestinian territory—announced it could no longer operate in northern Gaza. The team cited continual Israeli airstrikes targeting their personnel and equipment as a primary reason for withdrawing from the area. Israel, increasing its military operations in northern Gaza, stated its goal as removing Hamas forces from the region, with troops, tanks, and drones launching daily attacks. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Gazans are forced to flee or face unimaginable hardship if they stay. Israel claims its efforts focus on dismantling militant infrastructure and reported killing hundreds of combatants, though Civil Defense counters that some 2,000 lives have been lost, with no distinction made between fighters and civilians.

The absence of emergency services has magnified the trauma for families in northern Gaza. Ahmed describes the chaotic scenes, with injured people being pulled from rubble on doorframes instead of stretchers, transported to hospitals in cars or even on donkey carts. Fidaa al-Alol, a young woman who refused to leave her family home in Beit Lahia, spoke of the haunting cries of people trapped under collapsed buildings—echoes of anguish that last hours until they die from lack of rescue.

Humanitarian Aid and Pleas for Ceasefire
As the situation grows more dire, humanitarian agencies and international groups are urging Israel to allow more aid into Gaza. Fifteen United Nations agencies, including UNICEF and the World Food Program, signed a joint statement imploring an end to attacks on both civilians and humanitarian workers, condemning recent strikes on emergency responders. The plea emphasizes the critical need for protection of both residents and those assisting them, particularly in areas facing the brunt of the conflict, such as Beit Lahia.

Israel announced preparations to open the Kissufim crossing in central Gaza for aid delivery. Yet for those in the north, aid remains out of reach, especially as vital emergency services like the Palestinian Red Crescent struggle with limited resources. Their few ambulances that still operate in northern Gaza are barely enough to cover Jabaliya and other hard-hit areas.

A Community’s Resilience Amid Ruins
Khareef Khalil, a 21-year-old resident, described to The New York Times the lifelessness engulfing northern Gaza. “There is no municipality, there are no hospitals, there are no civil defense teams,” he says. Khalil lost a relative to a recent strike, helpless to move him because of drones overhead. Watching his loved one struggle for hours and ultimately die, Khalil is one of many experiencing the profound impact of having no official help.

The strength displayed by residents in northern Gaza highlights a deep-seated resilience in the face of unimaginable loss. But as they pull each other from beneath rubble, bandaging wounds with limited supplies and improvising stretchers from scrap wood, it’s clear they are enduring a crisis few are equipped to handle alone.

Reflection
As people in northern Gaza risk their lives to pull one another from the rubble, their bravery reflects Jesus’ teaching in John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” When formal help fades, these neighbors become the very hands and feet of Christ, demonstrating love through sacrificial acts. May we pray for strength and protection over all who show this Christlike love, and may God’s peace soon reign over every heart and every nation.