DaysofPal- Gaza’s Ministry of Health has condemned the Israeli return of mutilated Palestinian bodies under the ongoing ceasefire arrangement, calling the act a “shocking display of inhumanity” and evidence of “systematic desecration.”
Officials said the remains of dozens of Palestinians were handed over at the Karm Abu Salem Karm Abu Salem crossing late Tuesday night, with most of the bodies in an unrecognizable state.
Medical workers and forensic staff who received the bodies described scenes of horror. “Some were missing limbs, others were burned beyond recognition, and at least one was returned without a head,” said a senior health official involved in the handover.
He added that “The conditions suggest deliberate mistreatment even after death.”
The Health Ministry added that the Israeli occupation continues to obstruct the entry of forensic and DNA testing equipment into Gaza, making it nearly impossible to identify many of the victims.
Families have been waiting outside hospitals and morgues in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, hoping for any clue that could confirm the fate of their loved ones.
“This is psychological torture for families,” said Dr. Munir al-Hams, director of the Nasser Medical Complex.
“They are not only grieving, they are forced to look at the mutilated remains of their children or siblings, unable to even recognize them. It’s beyond cruel.” Al-hams noted.
The ministry accused the Israeli occupation of violating both the Fourth Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law, saying that the treatment of Palestinian corpses constitutes “a continuation of the crime after death.”
The statement called on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and global forensic experts to urgently intervene, document the condition of the bodies, and ensure that the victims are treated with dignity.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, have echoed these concerns, demanding an independent international investigation into the handling of Palestinian detainees and the return of bodies.
Amnesty warned that “the mutilation or mistreatment of the dead is strictly prohibited under international law and may amount to a war crime.”
The latest handover comes amid growing reports that the Israeli occupation has been holding hundreds of bodies of Palestinians killed during its military assault on Gaza, storing them in mass graves or refrigerated containers under undisclosed conditions. According to Palestinian sources, some of the returned bodies bore signs of organ removal and postmortem abuse, deepening public outrage and calls for accountability.
For many families in Gaza, the return of the bodies, though unbearable, provides a grim closure. “At least now I know where to bury my son,” said the mother of one victim in tears outside Al-Shifa Hospital.
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