Massive funeral seen by thousands as Gaza City wheels out the remains of 112 civilians who died in an Israeli strike on 22 November 2023. The burial, the biggest of its kind in Gaza, was attended by families, police and emergency workers. Many of those lost were women and children; 40 were listed as children and 38 as women.
The victims belong to the Abu Sharia and Hassayna clans. They were recovered from deep beneath the rubble after a two‑week operation coordinated by the Civil Defence, with technical support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC supplied gloves, shovels, protective gear and body bags, and rented excavators for the difficult excavation work.
During the funeral the bodies were lined up in rows, each covered with a Palestinian flag or a photograph of the missing. The families dragged the coffins away, speaking of a painful but necessary relief as a first step toward closure. A mourner, Ali Abu Sharia, said that the grief was “painful but the burial offers a partial easing.”
The strike occurred in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, a multi‑storey block that is “now levelled.” According to Civil Defence spokesman Mohammed Basel, almost 90 per cent of residents inside the building were also killed. The IDF has not yet explained the target of the attack.
The war has claimed over 73,000 lives in Gaza, per the Hamas‑run health ministry, an estimate that the United Nations regards as reliable. The ongoing air raids continue to leave more bodies hiding beneath rubble, with hundreds still missing and thousands unaccounted for.
International support remains vital as families await clear confirmation of their loved ones’ fate. Patrick Griffiths, ICRC spokesperson, said that “the work is essential for families to mourn in their own way,” even while the pain of loss lingers amid the conflict’s broader devastation.
