Arab News | Palestinians hold funeral for around 70 people recovered from Gaza rubble

LONDON: Thousands of Palestinians gathered on Sunday for the funeral of around 70 people whose remains were recovered from buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment north of Gaza City, reported Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Residents and recovery teams retrieved the remains in the Al-Saftawi area despite shortages of equipment to clear debris. Sixty of those buried on Sunday have so far been identified.

WAFA reported that the remains of an estimated 8,000 people were still buried beneath rubble across the territory, many since the early months of Israel’s military offensive which started on Oct. 7, 2023, following a Hamas-led attack in southern Israel.

Israel’s onslaught on Gaza has reduced entire residential blocks to rubble and killed at least 77,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to the local health authority.

A ceasefire that began in October 2025 reduced the scale of the fighting but has not ended the bloodshed. The Associated Press, citing Gaza’s health authority, reported that at least 1,600 Palestinians had been killed since the agreement.

Survivors also face widespread damage to water, sewage and waste-disposal systems, compounded by shortages of medicine, adequate shelter and clean water. Recent flooding has destroyed makeshift shelters, worsening conditions for displaced families.

The European Union said on Saturday that continuing military strikes and restrictions on shelter materials, medicine and medical equipment were preventing acceptable living conditions in Gaza. It urged Israel to reopen all crossings into the territory and allow unimpeded humanitarian access.