Mass Funeral Held in Gaza for 112 Victims of 2023 Israeli Strike

A mass funeral was held in Gaza City for 112 Palestinians who were killed during an Israeli strike on a residential block in the Sabra neighborhood on November 22, 2023. The victims, primarily members of the Abu Sharia and Hassayna extended families, were recovered from the rubble during a recent two week operation. Among the dead were 40 children and 38 women. The recovery effort was conducted by the Civil Defence, which operates under the Hamas run interior ministry, with material and training support from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The strike occurred six weeks after the October 7 Hamas led assault on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. While the BBC reported that the Israel Defense Forces had not yet responded to requests for information on the target, G1 noted that the recovery of these bodies was made possible by a ceasefire in effect since October. According to the Gaza health ministry, at least 73,377 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. The ministry and family reports suggest that thousands of people, including at least 7,400, remain buried under rubble.

During the ceremony, the bodies were lined up and covered with Palestinian flags, with some identified by photographs. Relatives expressed profound grief, with one survivor stating he lost his entire family under the rubble. The Civil Defence indicated that approximately 157 bodies from the same attack have not yet been found.