The escalating death toll and expanded occupation by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip have led to a heartbreaking shortage of burial spaces. Cemeteries, once places of solemnity and peace, have become overwhelmed by the rising number of casualties, leaving Palestinian families in the embattled enclave with difficult choices to make. In many cases, a single grave is reopened multiple times to accommodate more than one victim of the war, depriving families of the dignity of individual farewells. "We buried a friend here yesterday, and today we reopened the same grave to bury my cousin who was killed. We're doing this because there's a shortage of burial space," said a Gazan resident. The tragedy deepens as cemeteries themselves come under attack, making them unsafe and often inaccessible. As a result, grieving Palestinians have resorted to burying their loved ones in public squares, near shelters, and beside the tents of displaced families. "Unfortunately, there are no decent cemeteries left. The ones we once had — the Eastern Cemetery and Shuja'iyya Cemetery — are now under the control of the Israeli occupation. We face many difficulties burying our loved ones. Sometimes people are forced to bury relatives on sidewalks or near streets. It's hard to find a proper grave space these days," said a mourner. "Every time, we have to dig up a grave to bury someone else. There are no spaces left, no cemeteries," another mourner said. The improvised burial sites reflect not only the scale of loss but also the profound disruption of cultural and religious burial rites. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 61,776, with 154,906 injured since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted in October 2023, Gaza's health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. SHOTLIST: Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Recent 1. Various of devastated cemetery; 2. Various of people carrying coffin to grave site, others digging up grave to make space for another burial; 3. Grave; 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Gaza resident (name not given)(starting with shot 3): "We buried a friend here yesterday, and today we reopened the same grave to bury my cousin who was killed. We're doing this because there's a shortage of burial space."; 5. Various of people constructing, sealing graves; 6. Various of devastated cemetery; 7. Various of mourners, grave; 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) mourner (name not given)(starting with shot 7): "Unfortunately, there are no decent cemeteries left. The ones we once had — the Eastern Cemetery and Shuja'iyya Cemetery — are now under the control of the Israeli occupation. We face many difficulties burying our loved ones. Sometimes people are forced to bury relatives on sidewalks or near streets. It's hard to find a proper grave space these days."; 9. Various of devastated cemetery; 10. Sign reading names of deceased people; 11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) mourner (name not given)(starting with shot 10): "Every time, we have to dig up a grave to bury someone else. There are no spaces left, no cemeteries."; 12. Graves. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]