At least 50 Palestinians whose bodies were recently recovered from the rubble have been laid to rest in Gaza City in the latest mass funeral for victims of the war in the enclave.
According to Al Jazeera correspondent Ghazi al-Aloul, the funeral took place on Thursday, weeks after search and rescue teams retrieved the bodies from the Tal al-Hawa, Zeitoun, Sabra, Sheikh Radwan, and Shati areas, which were targeted by Israeli airstrikes during the early months of the conflict that began in October 2023.
The victims belonged to various families, including the al-Sawafiri, al-Batniji, and Gharbiya families. Many other families with missing relatives continue to search for remains under the rubble. Gaza's Civil Defense agency estimates that about 8,000 Palestinians remain missing and are presumed buried under collapsed buildings.
Correspondent al-Aloul noted that search teams in Gaza are working under extremely difficult conditions with only a single excavator, slowing rescue operations. Munir al-Bursh, Director General of Gaza's Ministry of Health, called for allowing heavy machinery, search-and-rescue equipment, and forensic supplies into Gaza to facilitate the search and identification of victims.
The latest mass funeral comes as Israel continues to violate the ceasefire agreement that took effect in October. As of Wednesday, Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,266 Palestinians and wounded 4,200 others since the agreement came into force.
The ceasefire was signed after more than two years of war, which has killed at least 73,400 Palestinians and wounded more than 174,300, mostly women and children. About 90 percent of Gaza's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed during the conflict.
Earlier, on August 4, thousands gathered to bury the bodies of 112 members of the Abu Sharia and al-Hasayna families, found at the site of an Israeli airstrike in November 2023 in the Sabra neighborhood.
At the same time as the funeral, a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, head of the group's political office, met with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha to discuss the latest developments in Gaza. Qatar's Foreign Ministry said Sheikh Mohammed praised Hamas for reaffirming its commitment to the latest U.S.-backed proposal for disarming the group as part of a broader plan to end the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously publicly rejected the 15-point plan unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump, which also includes Israel withdrawing all troops from Gaza and a complete end to hostilities. Sheikh Mohammed also called on the international community to fulfill its responsibility, including pressuring Israel to abide by its obligations under the agreement and cease its continued violations against the Palestinian people.
