Gaza mourns victims of deadly 2023 Israeli airstrike

**DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza City** — Large crowds of Palestinians gathered on August 4 to hold a mass funeral for more than 100 people whose remains were recently recovered from the site of a 2023 Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

The strike occurred on November 22, 2023, during the early weeks of the war between Israel and Hamas. Israeli warplanes destroyed an entire residential block in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of more than 300 people in one of the conflict’s deadliest single incidents.

Immediately following the attack, rescuers recovered approximately 40 bodies using basic tools and bare hands. However, the majority of victims remained trapped deep beneath the rubble of collapsed structures. Due to the chaos and ongoing combat, the full scale of casualties did not emerge until days later, shortly before the implementation of an initial ceasefire.

Over the weekend, rescue teams returned to the site and recovered additional remains. According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, operating under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, the bodies of 112 individuals were found, including 40 children. Officials stated that 157 people remain missing and are believed to be buried under the debris.

“The only crime of these martyrs was that they remained steadfast and resilient in their homes, believing that these homes would protect them,” said Taysir al-Hassayna, a relative of several victims, speaking after the funeral prayers.

The recovery operations became possible following the implementation of a fragile ceasefire, which allowed emergency crews to access previously unreachable locations and retrieve remains from the earliest and most intense phases of the war.

The conflict began following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 73,377 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, including fatalities recorded after the ceasefire.

Officials estimate that at least 7,400 people remain missing under the rubble based on reports from relatives, though the true figure is believed to be higher because entire families were frequently killed in single strikes, leaving no survivors to report them missing.

The individuals buried during the August 4 funeral lived in a residential building belonging to the Hassayna and Abu Sharia families, many of whom were related. Investigations indicate that at least 60 families across Gaza lost 25 or more relatives during the first three months of the conflict.

During the funeral, the recovered remains were wrapped in Palestinian flags, placed in rows on the ground, and accompanied by photographs and scattered flower petals. Hundreds of mourners gathered for prayers, with some standing atop the surrounding rubble. Following the prayers, the bodies were transported on stretchers through a narrow, ruined street and laid to rest in a nearby cemetery.

Article and image source: iraqsun.com