The remains of 112 people, covered with flags and laid on stretchers under the hot sun, represented all that was recovered from the Al Hasain family from the Sabra neighborhood, a Palestinian Bedouin clan that was almost completely destroyed in an Israeli attack nearly three years ago.
According to Palestinian authorities, 308 members of the extended Al-Hassaine family, also known as Abu Sharia, were killed on November 22, 2023, when Israeli airstrikes razed several apartment buildings where residents were sleeping.
About half of the victims had already been found and buried, but the bodies of another 153 people remained buried under the rubble.
Almost three years later, a team of 40 rescuers spent 17 days searching the ruins and found the remains of 112 people who had been missing until then.
Neighbors and surviving family members gathered yesterday at the site of the former buildings to attend what the Palestinian authorities said was the largest mass funeral since the start of the Gaza war.
Men carried bodies through the streets, while a billboard with photographs of the dead men, women and children was set up nearby.
"This day is filled with sadness and has reopened our wounds, three years after this massacre," he told Reuters. Taysir Al Hasain, one of the surviving family members.
"Our children and women are reliving the pain, but we find comfort in believing that they are martyrs before God," he added.
Reuters was unable to find a statement from the Israeli military in November 2023 explaining the attack. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 73.000 Palestinians have been confirmed dead in the war in the Gaza Strip so far, while it is believed that around 8.000 more bodies are buried under the rubble.
"They are a part of me"
Sixty-five-year-old Omar Al-Hasajna, who survived the bombing and managed to escape to Egypt a few days later, cried as he watched footage of the funeral on television.
The attack killed his wife, four sons - Abdalah, Abdel Rahman, Ahmed and Osama - as well as four grandchildren, two boys and two girls. The oldest child was four years old, and the youngest was only a few months old.
"They are a part of me. I think about them every day. I see them in my thoughts and dreams," Omar said.
"This funeral is the least we could do for them. It's time for those little bodies to find peace, and for their souls to hover over us."
Most of Gaza's residents are descendants of refugees who once lived in what is now Israel, so entire families often lived in the same housing complexes. As a result, a single airstrike could wipe out an entire branch of a family.
The Al Hasain family had lived in Sabra for decades and were known throughout Gaza for their hospitality and modesty.
According to Omar, family members gathered in three apartment buildings, believing they would be safer that way. Two of the buildings were completely destroyed, while the third was only partially damaged, allowing him to survive.
Search for bodies only possible outside areas under Israeli control
Following the ceasefire reached in October, Israeli forces retained control over more than half of Gaza's territory, and this area was later further expanded.
The search for bodies is only possible in the area not under Israeli control, where almost the entire population of Gaza now lives, mostly in makeshift camps and damaged buildings.
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said the remains were identified with the help of forensic analysis and testimonies from surviving family members.
"The bodies were in an advanced stage of decomposition. Some were recognized by their clothing, injuries or special features, while some women were identified by their jewelry and necklaces with engraved names," Basal said.
He added that the team will now focus on other areas of Gaza where it is possible to conduct a search.
When the funeral procession reached the cemetery surrounded by ruins, men carefully lowered the bodies into freshly dug graves, sending the last members of the Al Hasain family to eternal rest.
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