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112 recovered, years buried
Palestinians held a mass funeral in Gaza City for 112 people whose remains were recovered from beneath the rubble of a residential block in the Sabra neighborhood after an Israeli airstrike on November 22, 2023.
“More than 300 people were killed on Nov. 22, 2023”
The New Arab Staff & Agencies said the strike flattened a residential block in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood, and that “More than 300 people were killed on Nov. 22, 2023.”
SANA said the funerals took place in Gaza on 4 ago and that the bodies were recovered recently after intense search and debris-removal work, with burial near the destroyed homes before being moved to the Cementerio Bautista in the Zeitoun neighborhood.
The New Arab Staff & Agencies reported that over the weekend first responders dug through destroyed buildings and recovered remains of 112 victims, including 40 children, while Civil Defense said 157 bodies still have not been found.
SANA likewise said Gaza’s Civil Defense concluded recovery after 136 hours of continuous work and that it recovered the remains of 112 people, including 40 children, 38 women, and seven people with disabilities.
Voices at the funeral
At the funeral prayers, a relative identified as Taysir al-Hassayna told The Associated Press that “The only crime of these martyrs was that they remained steadfast and resilient in their homes, believing that these homes would protect them.”
The New Arab Staff & Agencies also quoted another description of the missing, saying for those still unaccounted for it was “as if their bodies had evaporated without a trace.”
In Gaza, SANA said the funerals were attended by thousands of Palestinians and that the recovered remains belonged to members of the Al-Hasayna and Abu Sharia families killed in Israeli airstrikes against homes in Sabra.
SANA reported that the Civil Defense supervisor general, Muhammad Abu Dan, said teams could not locate 157 people who continue missing under the rubble of the same residential block.
The New Arab Staff & Agencies added that the Civil Defense, operating under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, said 157 bodies still have not been found.
Ceasefire, missing, and stakes
The Guardian said the ceasefire established in October “has allowed first responders to dig through the rubble,” while also noting that it “has not stopped Israeli bombing of Gaza.”
“has allowed first responders to dig through the rubble”
The Guardian reported that Gaza’s civil defence dug through the levelled apartment block and recovered the remains of a further 112 victims last weekend, and that it said 157 people were still missing after the attack.
Al Jazeera said the funeral was held amid ongoing Israeli violations of a “ceasefire” agreement in October, and it cited Palestinian authorities saying about 157 people remain missing, either still beneath the rubble or otherwise unaccounted for.
The Guardian tied the recovery to the broader casualty picture, saying “At least 7,400 people have been reported by relatives as still buried under the rubble,” quoting Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza health ministry’s records department.
Al Jazeera said the November 22, 2023 attack killed 308 members of the two families, including 40 children, 30 women and seven people with disabilities, while Palestinian authorities said about 157 people remain missing.
