Gaza holds mass funeral for extended family recovered from wartime rubble

Gaza City witnessed a massive funeral for 112 individuals, primarily from the Hassayna and Abu Sharia clan, whose remains were discovered in the rubble of their home following an Israeli military strike in November 2023. The extensive family, including numerous women and children, perished in the strike that occurred during the second month of the conflict.

Despite Israel's claims that the attack targeted militants, the area was reportedly home to Hamas operatives, heightening the controversy. Recovery efforts were only able to access the site in mid-July, after which decomposed remains were exhumed over the subsequent two weeks. This tragedy marks Gaza's largest mass funeral since the Oct.

7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which has resulted in over 70,000 Palestinian casualties since the nearly three-year-old conflict. At the service, a mourner scattered flower petals over the covered bodies, with women and children gazing from the debris of partially collapsed structures. The event was marked by a banner featuring images of numerous children and a speech from the spokesperson of Gaza's Civil Defense, who questioned the killings of innocents and called for an end to the "genocide in Gaza."

Israeli authorities have vehemently denied allegations of genocide, attributing the conflict to Hamas's alleged attempt at genocide during its Oct. 7 attack.