Mass funeral held for 75 Palestinians after remains recovered from Gaza ruins

A mass funeral was held on Sunday for 75 Palestinians whose remains were discovered in the rubble of homes destroyed during Israel's assault on Gaza since October 2023, according to the Ministry of Health. Hundreds of Palestinians gathered for the procession before the burial at Sheikh Radwan Cemetery. Most of the victims were from Daraj, a neighborhood in northeastern Gaza City, with the majority being women and children who were inside their homes when targeted.

The remains consisted of body parts and personal belongings, wrapped in Palestinian flags before burial. Abdullah al-Majdalawi, director of public relations for Gaza's Civil Defence, stated that the remains were found in multiple homes bombed while residents were inside early in the conflict. The buildings were targeted in the first months of the war, affecting about 20 Palestinian families, including displaced individuals.

Recovering bodies from the rubble remains challenging due to a lack of equipment and heavy machinery. The Civil Defence initiated the second phase of recovery operations in July, having recovered 333 bodies and the remains of 559 people in its first operation in November 2025. They estimate another 8,000 Palestinians remain trapped under the rubble across Gaza.

About 200,000 buildings in Gaza are damaged or destroyed, as reported by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Since Israel initiated the genocidal war, at least 74,475 Palestinians have been killed.