Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in central Gaza on Tuesday to mourn victims whose remains were recently recovered from the site of a major Israeli airstrike carried out in 2023, nearly three years after the attack. According to Gaza’s Civil Defense agency, 112 bodies were recovered over the weekend from the rubble of a destroyed residential block in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood.
The funeral procession took place in Deir al-Balah after recovery teams completed one of the largest retrieval operations since a ceasefire created conditions for expanded search efforts in parts of the Gaza Strip. The Civil Defense, which operates under Gaza’s Hamas-run Interior Ministry, said the recovered remains included 40 children and that many more victims are still believed to be trapped beneath the debris.
Recovery efforts resume after ceasefire
According to The Associated Press (AP), the strike occurred on November 22, 2023, during the early weeks of the Israel-Hamas war, when Israeli warplanes hit a residential block in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. Initial rescue efforts recovered around 40 bodies shortly after the attack, but rescue workers were unable to reach many victims because of the scale of destruction and the ongoing fighting.
With a fragile ceasefire now allowing access to previously inaccessible locations, emergency crews have resumed excavation work across heavily damaged parts of Gaza. The latest recovery operation uncovered the remains of more than 100 people who had remained buried beneath collapsed buildings for months.
Families bid farewell to recovered victims
The recovered bodies, wrapped in Palestinian flags, were placed in rows before funeral prayers attended by hundreds of mourners. Family members and local residents gathered around the remains, many of which were identified using photographs attached to the shrouds, while flower petals were scattered across the burial site.
Following the prayers, mourners carried the bodies through streets lined with damaged buildings before burying them in a nearby cemetery. Many of those buried belonged to the Hassayna and Abu Sharia families, according to AP, with several extended family members having died in the same strike.
Relatives continue searching for missing family members
Despite the latest recovery effort, Gaza’s Civil Defense said another 157 people are still believed to be missing beneath the rubble at the site. Speaking to The Associated Press after the funeral, relative Taysir al-Hassayna said families continue to struggle with the uncertainty surrounding loved ones who have yet to be found.
“The only crime of these martyrs was that they remained steadfast and resilient in their homes, believing that these homes would protect them,” Taysir al-Hassayna told The Associated Press.
He added that for many families, the missing victims remain unaccounted for, describing the situation as though “their bodies had evaporated without a trace.”
Ceasefire has enabled wider recovery operations across Gaza
According to The Associated Press, the current ceasefire has allowed rescue teams to resume searches in several parts of Gaza where recovery work had previously been impossible because of active fighting and extensive destruction. As a result, remains from some of the deadliest attacks during the early months of the conflict are only now being recovered.
Officials from Gaza’s Health Ministry said the latest discoveries have contributed to the territory’s overall death toll. The ministry reported that more than 73,377 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, including deaths recorded after the ceasefire took effect. The figures have not been independently verified and do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, though the ministry says women and children account for a majority of those killed.
Zaher al-Waheidi, who heads the records department at Gaza’s Health Ministry, told AP that at least 7,400 people have been reported missing beneath collapsed buildings by their relatives. He added that the actual number could be significantly higher because, in many cases, entire families were killed with no surviving relatives available to report them missing.
War continues to leave humanitarian challenges
Large parts of the Gaza Strip remain heavily damaged despite the ceasefire. Millions of tonnes of rubble continue to cover residential neighborhoods, slowing recovery efforts and delaying the identification of victims. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that damaged infrastructure and limited access continue to hinder reconstruction and humanitarian operations.
Most of Gaza’s population remains displaced, with many families living in temporary shelters and overcrowded tent camps. Humanitarian organizations have also raised concerns over deteriorating living conditions, including shortages of essential services and outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Ceasefire remains fragile amid continued tensions
While the ceasefire has reduced large-scale fighting, tensions between Israel and Hamas continue. According to AP, both sides have accused each other of violating the truce, and negotiations on the next phase of the agreement have made limited progress.
Israeli officials maintain that military operations target militants involved in attacks against Israel or those posing security threats. Hamas, meanwhile, continues to retain its weapons despite discussions surrounding future security arrangements, while Israeli forces remain deployed in significant areas of the Gaza Strip.
Background
The Israel-Hamas war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. Israel subsequently launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza that has resulted in widespread destruction and a prolonged humanitarian crisis.
The recovery of additional victims from the 2023 Sabra neighborhood strike highlights the continuing impact of the conflict on families still searching for missing relatives, even as ceasefire efforts allow rescue teams to access areas that remained unreachable for months.
Source: Associated Press (AP)
