Mass Funeral Held in Gaza for 112 Palestinians Killed in 2023 Israeli Strike, Ending Years-Long Wait

A mass funeral was held in Gaza on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, for 112 Palestinians whose remains were recently recovered from a 2023 Israeli strike. The victims, including 40 children, were killed when an Israeli airstrike flattened a residential block in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood on November 22, 2023. Initial recovery efforts in 2023 were limited, with many bodies remaining buried under the rubble due to ongoing conflict.

The recovery of the 112 bodies, primarily from the Hassayna and Abu Sharia clans, occurred over the past few weeks, facilitated by a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October. Hundreds of mourners gathered in Deir al-Balah for the ceremony, where coffins draped in Palestinian flags were displayed before burial in a nearby cemetery. This mass burial offered a measure of closure for families who had endured a years-long wait to lay their loved ones to rest, though many more remains are still believed to be under the rubble across Gaza.