Gaza City:Hundreds of Palestinians attended the funeral of 105 individuals whose remains were recovered from the rubble of demolished residential buildings in the Al-Yarmouk area.
According to Palestine news & Information Agency - WAFA - English, the remains, wrapped in Palestinian flags, were transferred to the Martyrs Cemetery in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood for burial. Local and technical teams from Egypt and the International Committee of the Red Cross played a crucial role in recovering the remains from buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in October 2023.
On the day before the funeral, families held a farewell ceremony at the site of the Al-Yarmouk destruction, lighting candles in memory of their loved ones. Mamdouh Atallah, a funeral attendee, stated that the recovery operation began about 20 days ago, involving civil defense teams and Egyptian assistance. The remains were found beneath 16 residential buildings in the Al-Taj area, targeted on October 25, 2023.
The attack resulted in approximately 450 Palestinian deaths, including children, women, and the elderly. Among the 105 recovered remains, there were 37 children and 38 women, with many others still trapped under the debris.
During a press conference, the Civil Defense Directorate, along with representatives of about 20 families, called for essential equipment to facilitate further recovery. According to Civil Defense sources, rescue teams require additional machinery, including 10 excavators, 30 bulldozers, and 100 heavy loaders, to expedite the process. It is estimated that over 8,000 bodies remain under the rubble throughout the Gaza Strip, underscoring the vast devastation from the bombardment.