A mass funeral took place on August 4, 2026, in Gaza City for 112 Palestinians who were killed nearly three years ago in an Israeli airstrike targeting a residential compound in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City in November 2023 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The victims belonged to two extended families, Abu Sharia and Al-Hasayna, with the strike flattening their homes and killing more than 300 family members overall [1, 3, 4].
The bodies of 112 victims — including 40 children, 38 women, and 7 people with disabilities — were recovered after about two weeks of excavation led by Gaza Civil Defence teams and supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in mid-2026 [1, 4, 5, 6]. The recovery used scarce heavy machinery rented from the ICRC due to restrictions on equipment entering Gaza [1, 6]. Approximately 157 bodies from the families remain missing under the rubble [2, 4].
The recovered bodies were laid out draped in Palestinian flags, accompanied by photographs, and buried following funeral prayers attended by thousands of mourners [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Mustafa Barghouti from the Palestinian National Initiative described the funeral as potentially "the largest funeral in Palestinian history" [4]. Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Palestine Civil Defence, said Gaza was "set for an exceptional and painful scene" reflecting the heavy losses suffered by Palestinian families [4].
Relatives expressed deep grief. Lara Abu Shreia said, "Today felt like the first day I lost them. It was a renewed grief, saying goodbye to them this way." Ali Abu Sharia said the burial brought "a feeling of pain, grief and loss... perhaps we can be partially relieved despite the pain of loss and all we're still living through" [1, 7]. Patrick Griffiths of the ICRC emphasized the importance of the recovery for families to receive closure and mourn in their own way [1].
The exact date of the Israeli airstrike is reported as November 22 or 23, 2023 [1, 2, 4, 8, 6]. Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, Gaza health authorities report over 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and thousands remain trapped beneath rubble, with estimates ranging from at least 7,400 to over 9,500 bodies still missing [1, 2, 6, 9]. The Israeli military has not responded specifically to this strike [1, 6].
