Gaza City Holds Largest Mass Funeral After 2023 Israeli Strike
Large crowds gathered in Gaza City for a mass funeral that honored 112 victims, most of whom were women, children and people with disabilities, following an Israeli air strike on a residential block in the Sabra neighbourhood in late 2023.
The bodies, recovered only after a two‑week effort by the Hamas‑run Civil Defence under the Interior Ministry, were lined up in rows and draped with Palestinian flags and photographs before relatives carried them to burial.
One mourner, Ali Abu Sharia, described the feeling of grief: “After we managed to retrieve them and bury them, perhaps we can be partially relieved despite the pain of loss and all we’re still living through.”
Among those killed were 44 children, 38 women and seven people with disabilities from the Abu Sharia and Hassayna clans. The strike that levelled the multi‑storey building struck around 90 % of the over 180 civilians inside.
The International Committee of the Red Cross supported the Civil Defence crews, providing gloves, shovels, protective equipment, body bags and training. Patrick Griffiths, ICRC spokesperson, said, “We provide material support and ensure that the deceased are treated with dignity. It’s essential for families to receive closure.”
The funeral is believed to be the largest of its kind in Gaza. The event underscores the humanitarian toll of the conflict, with at least 73,377 people killed in Gaza this war, according to the Hamas‑run health ministry figures upheld by the UN.
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