On Tuesday (August 4, 2026), Palestinians held a mass funeral in Gaza City for over 100 bodies finally recovered from an Israeli airstrike that occurred in November 2023. The strike, which happened weeks into the war with Hamas, killed more than 300 people when warplanes destroyed a residential building in the Sabra neighborhood.
Initially, only about 40 bodies were quickly retrieved using basic tools and manual labor. However, most of the victims remained buried under the rubble. It took days for reports of the massive casualties to reach the public amid the chaos before the first ceasefire.
Over the weekend, rescue workers recovered the remains of 112 individuals, including 40 children, according to the Civil Defence agency. The bodies were brought to a funeral where they were wrapped in Palestinian flags and surrounded by mourners. Many were marked with photos, and flower petals were scattered around them.
The victims belonged to two large families, Hassayna and Abu Sharia, whose relatives described their deaths as tragic losses of innocent lives. The Associated Press reported that at least 60 Gaza families lost 25 or more members during the first three months of the war.
The ceasefire in October allowed recovery efforts to proceed, but the death toll from the conflict continues to rise. Since the ceasefire, over 1,252 people have been killed in Gaza, according to its Health Ministry. Most victims are women and children, though exact numbers remain unclear as some families were completely wiped out.
Gaza remains in ruins, with most of its 2 million residents displaced. Many live in overcrowded tent camps, facing poor conditions that have led to disease outbreaks. Negotiations for further disarmament and peace have stalled, leaving the region unstable.
The U.S.-backed Board of Peace is working on a new disarmament deal with Hamas, but Israel has raised security concerns about the agreement. Meanwhile, life in Gaza continues under harsh circumstances, with little progress toward lasting peace.