Mass funeral in Gaza for 112 Palestinians killed in 2023 Israeli strike

A mass funeral took place in Gaza City for 112 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, who lost their lives in an Israeli strike on a residential building in the Sabra neighbourhood back in November 2023. The victims, members of two extended families, were buried after being recovered from under the rubble over a span of two weeks. The funeral is reported to be the largest of its kind in Gaza, with relatives carrying the bodies to their final rest, each covered with a Palestinian flag or a photo of the deceased.

The grief-stricken mourners, such as Ali Abu Sharia, expressed the collective pain and loss, stating that the feeling of mourning would provide some relief despite the ongoing trauma. The victims included 40 children, 38 women, and seven individuals with disabilities from the Abu Sharia and Hassayna families. The attack on the residential building occurred just six weeks after the 7 October Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which left 1,200 people dead and 251 hostage.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not yet provided information on the target of the strike, but the Civil Defence, under the Hamas-run interior ministry, carried out the recovery operation with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Patrick Griffiths, the ICRC spokesperson, highlighted the significance of providing the deceased with dignified treatment and conducting the recovery work safely.

He emphasized that confirming the death of a loved one is an essential step towards closure and mourning.

The recovery process was challenging, as the multi-storey building was leveled, and it was initially inaccessible due to safety concerns and the need for coordination with Israeli forces. Relatives played a crucial role in guiding the recovery teams through the rubble, retrieving what they could and providing proper burials for the remaining victims. Nahed al-Hassayna, a relative, expressed his anguish over losing his entire family, including his mother, father, uncle, and cousins.

Despite the devastating loss, the recovery efforts have given families the opportunity to bury their loved ones with the respect and dignity they deserve, albeit in the midst of the ongoing conflict and uncertainty. The exact number of unaccounted bodies remains unclear, with many believed to be under the rubble left by the intense Israeli air strikes during the war in Gaza.