Gaza Mass Funeral Held for 112 Victims Recovered From 2023 Strike

Palestinians in Gaza held a mass funeral on Tuesday for 112 people whose remains were recovered from the rubble of a residential block destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023. The strike, which flattened a building in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, was one of the deadliest of the war's early weeks.

According to Gaza's Civil Defence, a rescue agency operating under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, the remains recovered over the weekend included those of 40 children. Around 40 bodies had been pulled from the site shortly after the attack, but most victims remained buried under tons of debris for nearly three years. The agency said 157 bodies are still unaccounted for.

Taysir al-Hassayna, a relative of some of the victims, told The Associated Press after funeral prayers: “The only crime of these martyrs was that they remained steadfast and resilient in their homes, believing that these homes would protect them.” For those still missing, he said, it is "as if their bodies had evaporated without a trace."

The recovery has been made possible by a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October, allowing rescue teams to access parts of Gaza that were previously too dangerous to enter. The truce has also enabled the recovery of other bodies, contributing to the rising death toll in the enclave.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's military offensive has since killed more than 73,377 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are considered broadly reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but says women and children account for most of the dead.

Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the ministry's records department, said relatives have reported at least 7,400 people still missing under the rubble. The true number is likely higher, he noted, because entire families were sometimes killed in a single strike, leaving no one to file a report.

Tuesday's funeral was for victims from a residential block belonging to the Hassayna and Abu Sharia clans, many of whom were related. The Associated Press has identified at least 60 families across Gaza who lost 25 or more members during the first three months of the war.

The remains, wrapped in Palestinian flags, were laid in rows on the ground, with photographs of the deceased placed beside them and flower petals scattered around. Hundreds of mourners stood among the ruins for funeral prayers. Afterwards, the bodies were carried on stretchers along a narrow street lined with destroyed buildings and buried in a nearby cemetery.

Gaza remains largely devastated. Most of its two million people are displaced, many living in tent camps where overcrowding and poor sanitation have led to rodent infestations and outbreaks of infectious diseases such as chickenpox.

The ceasefire has largely halted major fighting, but violations on both sides have been reported. The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 1,252 people have been killed in Gaza since the truce began. Israel says its strikes target militants involved in attacks or posing a threat to its soldiers. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire, according to Israeli officials.

Negotiations on extending the ceasefire and reaching a permanent settlement have stalled. Hamas has not disarmed as initially expected, and the Israeli military has maintained its presence in key areas. The recovery of bodies from the 2023 strike is a grim reminder of the war's devastating toll, even as families wait for news of those still missing.