Kathmandu— A mass funeral was held Thursday in Gaza City for at least 50 Palestinians whose bodies were recently recovered from the rubble following Israeli attacks, adding to the growing toll of casualties in the ongoing conflict that began in October 2023. The ceremony occurred weeks after a similar event saw 112 bodies buried, retrieved from the site of a November 2023 attack in the Sabra neighborhood, as search teams struggle with limited resources to locate and identify those still missing. The enclave has suffered extensive damage, with approximately 90 percent of its infrastructure destroyed during the conflict, which has claimed at least 73,400 Palestinian lives and injured over 174,300.

Recovery Efforts Hampered by Limited Resources

Search and rescue teams are working under extremely difficult conditions to recover remains from areas previously targeted by Israeli air strikes in neighborhoods including Tal al-Hawa, Zeitoun, Sabra, Sheikh Radwan and Shati. The operation is severely hampered by a lack of equipment; currently, only one excavator is available for the task, significantly slowing down recovery efforts. Gaza’s Civil Defence estimates that around 8,000 Palestinians remain missing and are believed to be buried under collapsed buildings.

Calls for Increased Aid and Equipment

Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, has appealed for the provision of heavy machinery, search and recovery equipment, and forensic medicine supplies to facilitate the identification of victims and expedite recovery operations. The need for these resources is critical given the scale of destruction and the number of individuals still unaccounted for.

Ceasefire Violations and Political Discussions

The mass funeral took place despite a ceasefire agreement that came into effect in October, which has been repeatedly violated by Israeli attacks. Since the agreement began, at least 1,266 Palestinians have been killed and 4,200 injured. Meanwhile, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha to discuss developments in Gaza.

US Proposal Faces Rejection

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Sheikh Mohammed praised Hamas for reaffirming its commitment to a US-backed proposal aimed at disarming the group as part of a wider plan to end the war. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected the 15-point plan announced by US President Donald Trump last month, which also includes a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a complete halt to hostilities. Sheikh Mohammed urged the international community to pressure Israel to uphold its obligations under any agreement and cease violations against Palestinians.

As of Wednesday, the conflict continues to claim lives and inflict widespread damage on Gaza’s infrastructure, with ongoing recovery efforts hampered by limited resources and continued ceasefire violations.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.