Gaza Families Bury 100 Loved Ones Recovered From Rubble

Families in Gaza City finally bid farewell to around one hundred relatives on Sunday. The bodies were recovered from beneath destroyed homes in the Zeitoun neighborhood. This mass funeral ended a wait of more than two years for many grieving kin.

The remains lay near the Imam al-Shafi’i Mosque draped in Palestinian flags. Mourners lit candles and placed flowers beside photographs of children and elders. Some searched for loved ones they had not seen since their homes were bombed by Israeli forces.

Civil Defense crews retrieved the bodies using limited excavators and worn equipment. Israeli restrictions prevented the entry of necessary machinery for recovery operations. The victims belonged to the Rahim, Balawi, Malaka, Qanbour and Salmi families who lost homes.

Maryam Hassan al-Balawi stood before her deceased husband and children with her surviving daughter. She expressed relief that their souls had finally emerged from the ruins. Her daughter still cries daily for her father and siblings who were killed instantly.

Jadallah Rahim mourned thirty-two relatives including fifteen children killed in a single strike. He emphasized that these victims were not mere numbers but men and women. Thousands attended the procession as candles burned into the night above the graves.