Gaza Mourns as Families Hold Mass Funeral for 100 Palestinians Recovered From Rubble

Thousands of Palestinians gathered on Sunday in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood to hold a mass funeral procession for 100 people whose remains were recovered from beneath the rubble of destroyed homes.

The victims, belonging to the Rahim, Balawi, Malaka, Qanbour and Salmi families, lost their lives when Israeli forces struck several residential homes around two and a half years ago, according to local authorities. Their remains were laid out near the ruins of their former homes, draped in Palestinian flags, before being carried to al-Ma'madani cemetery in central Gaza City for burial.

Local officials and activists noted that similar mass recovery operations have recently retrieved more than 100 bodies from the Abu Shariah and Hassaniya families following a single strike, alongside more than 500 bodies from the al-Taj Tower site.

Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN human rights office in the occupied Palestinian territories, told Al Jazeera that the harrowing scenes serve as a stark reminder of the brutality of the ongoing conflict.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 73,651 Palestinians have been killed and 174,592 injured since October 2023, with extended families such as the Malaka family suffering devastating losses of up to 55 members.