Gaza Holds Historic Mass Funeral for 112 Family Members Killed by Israel
The shelling of the Abu Sharia clan occurred on 23 November 2023, hours before the first agreed humanitarian truce came into effect. Photo: EFE.
August 4, 2026 Hour: 10:53 pm
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Gaza held its largest funeral in recent history this Tuesday as thousands of Palestinians bid farewell to 112 members of the Abu Sharia and Al-Hasayna families, killed by an Israeli bombing in November 2023.
The remains of the victims, including 40 children, were recovered last Sunday after almost three years under the rubble.
Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, described the ceremony as “the largest funeral in Palestinian history.” He recalled that the bodies are part of the 308 people killed in the massacre perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against a residential block in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.
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The ceremony began in a house in the neighborhood and concluded with burial in collective niches at the Sheikh Shaaban cemetery, in central Gaza, surrounded by homes and buildings destroyed by the bombardments of the occupying forces.
The Abu Sharia clan, one of the most recognized in the Strip, gathered around 300 relatives in adjacent houses on the same block, according to the Palestinian agency WAFA. When Israeli drones launched the offensive, the group took refuge in the building of Mukhtar Fathi Abu Sharia, head of the family. A bomb brought down the block and killed everyone inside: 70 people were buried at that moment, and most remained trapped under the rubble.
The bombing occurred on November 23, 2023, hours before the first humanitarian truce agreed came into effect, a detail that highlights the deliberate character of the massacre against unarmed civilians.
Gaza’s Civil Defense identified among the 112 deceased 40 children, 38 women and seven people with disabilities. However, elderly Ali Abu Sharia believes that in reality 44 minors, although he warns that not all bodies could be identified.
8,000 Still Buried
The Gaza Strip faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as recovery teams struggle to reach thousands of victims. Mahmud Basal, spokesperson for the civil defense, warned this Tuesday that approximately 8,000 people remain missing under the ruins of collapsed buildings across the Palestinian enclave.
The clan’s spokesperson, Yusuf Basam Abu Sharia, recounted that the family has suffered “five massacres” since the beginning of the conflict and has buried 267 members, while the whereabouts of another 41 remain unknown. The devastation reached such magnitude that seven family nuclei of the clan have disappeared completely, without any surviving member.
The recovery operation, which lasted 136 hours, accelerated in the last month after an Israeli concession allowing the Civil Defense to use an excavator and a loader rented by the International Committee of the Red Cross for about 2,000 hours, despite Tel Aviv prohibiting the entry of heavy machinery into Gaza.
Rescue teams estimate that at least 157 bodies are currently trapped in immediate, inaccessible sectors. These recovery efforts are severely restricted, as emergency workers can only operate within the one-third of the territory not yet occupied by the Israeli occupation forces.
This restricted zone now houses more than two million displaced Palestinians who live in overcrowded, makeshift tents. Amid these dire conditions, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that emergency workers successfully retrieved 804 bodies from the debris of destroyed homes. However, the violence persists despite diplomatic efforts. Since the implementation of the fragile ceasefire in October 2025, the Israeli occupation military has killed 1,230 Gazans and injured 4,076 others in continuous violations.
The cumulative impact of the aggression is staggering. Since the escalation began in October 2023, the overall Palestinian death toll has reached 73,370 killed people. This figure includes more than 20,000 children, highlighting the devastating impact of the war on the youth. Additionally, 174,230 people have sustained injuries. The deadly cycle of violence continued last Friday, when an Israeli airstrike killed 18 civilians, including two children, further exacerbating the toll.
Systemic Crimes
On the geopolitical front, diplomatic negotiations remain heavily stalled. U.S. President Donald Trump and his Peace Board have conditioned any potential withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces on the complete disarmament of the Hamas Resistance Movement. Simultaneously, the government of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu claims military control over 70% of the enclave. This ongoing military presence prevents displaced families from returning to their homes and blocks vital humanitarian aid from entering.
Human rights organizations state that these repeated, targeted actions against a single family group represent a severe pattern of violence. Legally, these systematic actions constitute an aggravated war crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
The tragedy of the Abu Sharia and Al-Hasayna families illustrates the systematic character of attacks against civilian populations and reinforces international demands for accountability before tribunals for the aggravated war crimes committed in Gaza.
Author: Laura V. Mor
Source: Agencies
