A large crowd gathered in Gaza City for a funeral honoring 112 people who perished during an Israeli strike on a residential area in late 2023. The victims, primarily women and children, were members of the Abu Sharia and Hassayna families. Their remains were recently recovered after a two-week excavation effort.
During the ceremony, the bodies were laid out in rows, draped in Palestinian flags. Many included photographs of the deceased before family members took them for interment. This event is considered one of the largest mass funerals in the region since the conflict began.
Mourner Ali Abu Sharia expressed that burying his loved ones provided a small measure of relief after the prolonged agony of waiting. Records indicate the group included 40 children, 38 women, and seven individuals with disabilities. The attack occurred on 22 November 2023 in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City.
Recovery operations were conducted by the Civil Defence with assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC provided essential equipment, training, and heavy machinery to ensure the process was handled professionally. Despite these efforts, officials estimate that more bodies remain trapped beneath the debris, adding to the thousands of people across Gaza who are still missing following intense aerial bombardment.
