Mass funeral held in Gaza for family killed during war

On a cleared plot of land in Gaza City, a mass funeral was held for 112 individuals killed during a war with Israel. The bodies - men, women, and children - were laid out on neat rows of Palestinian flags. Hundreds of mourners attended, including Ahmed Abu Sharia, a relative of the deceased who emphasized the importance of this ceremony as a way to mourn their loved ones.

Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel resulted in 1,221 deaths, according to AFP's calculations based on Israeli figures. The territory's health ministry reports that more than 73,000 people have died since Israel's retaliatory campaign began. While a ceasefire was in effect in October, progress towards ending the war has stalled, and Israeli forces now control roughly 70% of Gaza.

Over 44 of the recovered bodies were children, all belonging to the same extended family. Rescue teams have been working tirelessly for 17 days to recover the remains, often having to dig through concrete and twisted steel with their bare hands. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided two excavators, rented from Gaza's private sector, to aid in the recovery efforts.

Despite the ceasefire, at least 1,252 Palestinians have been killed since, according to the territory's health ministry. The mass funeral, one of the largest ever in Gaza, included a moment of silence for those still unidentified. One relative of the deceased expressed frustration with Israel, questioning why so many young children were targeted.

The World Bank, European Union, and UN estimate that over 68 million tonnes of rubble from destroyed buildings cover Gaza, with over 60% of the population of 2.1 million losing their homes during the conflict. However, restrictions on media access and entry into Gaza by Israel limit AFP's ability to independently verify tolls or cover the ongoing violence.