Arab News | 105 Palestinians buried in Gaza City after remains recovered from rubble

LONDON: Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in Gaza City on Thursday for the funeral of 105 people whose remains were recovered from beneath residential buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes early in the war, Palestinian media reported.

Families and other residents performed funeral prayers before the remains were buried at the Martyrs Cemetery in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northwestern Gaza City.

The bodies were recovered from the rubble of 16 residential buildings in Al-Taj area of Al-Yarmouk district, according to Gaza’s civil defense teams, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The buildings, containing 138 apartments, were struck Oct. 25, 2023, shortly after Israel launched its military campaign in the enclave. Authorities told WAFA that the attack killed around 450 Palestinians, including children, women and older adults.

Of the 105 bodies recovered, 37 were children, and 38 were women. Many more victims are believed to remain buried under the rubble.

Local civil defense teams, supported by Egyptian technical personnel and the International Committee of the Red Cross, began the recovery operation about 20 days ago, Mamdouh Atallah, who attended the funeral, told WAFA.

A day earlier, relatives held a farewell ceremony at the site in Al-Yarmouk, where they lit candles and mourned family members whose remains had only recently been recovered.

More than 8,000 bodies are believed to remain trapped beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings across the Gaza Strip, according to the civil defense.