Gaza Buries 75 Palestinians Whose Remains Were Found Under Rubble

sajadi Editor : Widi - Sunday, 18 October 2026 - 22:02 WIB

Sunday, 18 October 2026 - 22:02 WIB

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Gaza, MINA – Hundreds of Palestinians gathered on Sunday for the funeral of 75 people, including women and children, whose remains were recently recovered from beneath the rubble of homes destroyed by Israeli forces in Gaza City during the early months of the war.

The funeral procession began outside the Daraj Sports Club before the remains were laid to rest at Sheikh Radwan Cemetery in Gaza City. Wrapped in Palestinian flags, the remains had been displayed at the site on Saturday evening to allow relatives to pay their final respects.

Abdullah al-Majdalawi, director of public relations and media for Gaza’s Civil Defense, told Anadolu that the remains had been recovered over recent weeks from several destroyed homes in the Daraj neighborhood in northeastern Gaza City. He said the buildings had been bombed while residents were inside during the early months of the war.

The victims belonged to around 20 Palestinian families, including people who had been displaced to the homes, Majdalawi said.

Efforts to recover bodies from beneath the rubble remain severely hampered by a shortage of equipment and heavy machinery, he added.

The recovery operations are part of the second phase of a Civil Defense project to retrieve the bodies of Palestinians trapped under rubble, launched on July 19. Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said the phase would involve searching 147 destroyed homes across Gaza City and the northern and central parts of the enclave, where an estimated 1,072 bodies were believed to remain buried.

The first phase, launched in November 2025, recovered 333 bodies and remains out of 559 people believed to be buried beneath 54 destroyed homes and buildings. Limited resources prevented recovery teams from reaching an estimated 226 others.

Basal told Anadolu on October 7 that more than 8,000 missing Palestinians were still believed to be beneath the rubble. He warned that recovering them with the resources currently available could take around eight years.

The latest mass funeral highlights the continuing challenges faced by Palestinian recovery teams as families wait for news of loved ones missing beneath destroyed buildings. The lack of heavy machinery and specialized equipment has significantly slowed efforts to locate and retrieve the remains.

The war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000, according to figures cited in the supplied report. Around 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed.

Palestinian authorities and factions have accused Israel of failing to meet its commitments under the ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025, including allowing heavy equipment into Gaza to support search and recovery operations.

The International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations have called for heavy machinery to enter the enclave to help recover the remains of thousands of Palestinians still believed to be trapped beneath the rubble. Such efforts are essential to preserving the dignity of the deceased and helping families obtain answers about their missing relatives.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)