Gaza funeral mourns 100 people recovered from homes destroyed by Israel

A funeral for 100 Palestinians recovered from beneath destroyed homes took place Sunday in Gaza’s Zeitoun neighborhood, with bodies and remains laid out near the ruins and draped in Palestinian flags.

Thousands attended, including relatives, community figures and political representatives. Gaza’s Civil Defense teams, which carried out the recovery work, delivered memorial addresses alongside representatives of the victims’ families and other community members. After funeral prayers, the victims were buried at al-Ahli cemetery in Zeitoun.

The victims belonged to the Rahim, Balawi, Malaka, Qanbour and Salmi families. Local authorities said Israeli forces killed them when they struck several homes about two and a half years ago. The Civil Defense teams recently recovered the remains as part of the second phase of a project launched on July 19 to find Palestinians still buried beneath rubble.

The second phase includes 800 hours of work at 147 destroyed homes across Gaza City and northern and central Gaza. Authorities estimate that 1,072 bodies remain buried there. The first phase began in late November 2025 and involved 500 hours of work. Teams recovered about 333 bodies and remains from an estimated 559 people missing beneath 54 homes and buildings.

Recovery crews are working with limited resources, including few excavators and deteriorating equipment. Palestinian authorities say Israel was expected under the first phase of the Gaza cease-fire agreement, in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, to allow heavy machinery and equipment into the enclave. The ceremony followed another mass funeral in early August for 112 Palestinians recovered from rubble in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood.