Gaza holds funeral for 100 Palestinians, including 60 children recovered from rubble

Gaza City witnessed a somber funeral procession on Sunday, honoring 100 individuals, comprising 60 children, whose remains were found amidst the ruins of demolished homes following Israel's devastating war on the enclave. Dozens of Palestinians, including relatives of the victims and community leaders, joined the procession, as their remains lay out near the destruction, draped in Palestinian flags.

The Civil Defence teams, responsible for the recovery efforts, led the procession alongside representatives of the victims' families. The bodies are set to be buried at Al-Ahli cemetery in Zeitoun neighborhood following the funeral prayers. These victims were from the Rahim, Balawi, Malaka, Qanbour and Salmi families, who were killed during Israeli strikes on residential buildings approximately 2.5 years ago.

The recovery operation, a part of the second phase of a project launched on July 19, faced numerous challenges. With limited resources, such as a scarce number of excavators and aging equipment, the efforts were hampered by Israeli restrictions on the import of heavy machinery and necessary equipment. This has left the recovery process slow and arduous.

The funeral was deeply emotional for the families, who had been unable to mourn their loved ones who were buried under the rubble for years. One mourner, Mahmoud Murtaja, recounted the loss of his wife, who was nine months pregnant, and his 3-year-old daughter, whose remains had lain under the rubble for nearly three years. Murtaja expressed his anguish at finally having to accept the reality of their deaths, stating that it felt like they had been killed just yesterday.

Gaza Municipal Council member Mustafa Quzaat described the scenes as a painful reminder of the prolonged suffering endured by victims who remained trapped under the rubble for over two and a half years. He warned that similar scenes could unfold in other neighborhoods if resources remain insufficient, emphasizing that the war has effectively erased entire families from the civil registry.

Raed al-Dahshan, the director of civil defense in Gaza City, described the recovery operations as "extremely grueling and difficult" due to the scale of destruction and the scarcity of heavy equipment. He noted that around 60 children were among the victims, highlighting the shortage of equipment as the main obstacle to speeding up the search and recovery efforts.

The second phase of the project involves 800 hours of work at 147 destroyed homes across Gaza City and the northern and central parts, where it is estimated that 1,072 bodies remain buried.

According to Anadolu's tally, Sunday's funeral is among the largest in Palestinian history, with a significant number of bodies and remains being laid to rest. A similar funeral was held in early August for 112 Palestinians found in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood. The second phase of the recovery project comprises 800 hours of labor across 147 destroyed homes, with 1,072 bodies still believed to lie hidden beneath the rubble in Gaza City and northern and central regions.

The initial phase of this project began in late November 2025, involving 500 hours of work to recover around 333 bodies and remains from 54 homes and buildings.