The aftermath of the brutal Israel-Hamas conflict has left a tragic imprint on the city of Tel Aviv, as trucks bear a grisly cargo of bodies to medical stations throughout the city. Every day, an army of volunteers awaits their grim task.
Amongst these volunteers is Moshe Melayed, a medic affiliated with the 360 National Rescue Unit, who labors alongside police forensic units in the horrific task of identifying the many victims of the raging hostilities.
Capturing still images that narrate the shocking moments, the images of the calamitous aftermath caused by an unpredictable assault from Hamas are gut-wrenching. On one such day, Melayed was present when a shipment carrying the remains of fifty human beings arrived. The first body he faced was that of a young girl, barely older than five or six, with long hair and a look of terror frozen on her face that paints a shocking overview of the prevailing situation.
The bloody conflict has been ongoing for six days, initiated by a surprise bombardment from Hamas, which stands designated as a terrorist group by the Canadian government. This brutal attack has been Israel’s deadliest in years.
The number of deaths and missing persons cross into thousands as the conflict continues, a horror Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly conjectures is likely to worsen before the situation ameliorates.
Following the abrupt invasion, Melayed found himself in the southern region of Israel, where he was tasked with aiding the injured. Stationed amongst the corpses littering the ground, he soon found there were fewer survivors to aid than deceased to mourn.
Melayed has borne witness to scenes of violence that are unparalleled to his past experiences. The bodies of innocent children, elderly women and men, and foreign workers from Thailand, who had no involvement in the war, are the agonizing casualties of this merciless onslaught.
In order to carry on, Melayed mentally isolates himself, separating his feelings from the gruesome task he performs. The task is laborious and emotionally draining, with many of the bodies in ghastly states, some scarred beyond recognition.
He describes his action as a dedication to his community, though currently, he works purely in survival mode. Melayed sees his volunteering as a mission, one that demands an extreme sacrifice.
Despite the horrors he grapples with, Melayed says, “I can’t think about anything…I’m a volunteer. I’m taking my private time giving to my people. I think it’s a mission – one that not everyone can undertake.”
