DaysofPal- Dozens of Palestinian bodies handed over by Israeli occupation forces show evidence of torture, execution, and injuries caused by tanks, Middle East Eye reports.
On Tuesday, Israeli occupation returned the unidentified remains of about 45 individuals to Gaza as part of its prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas.
According to a source at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received the bodies through the International Committee of the Red Cross, some of the deceased were killed recently. In contrast, others arrived decomposed or as partial remains.
Several bodies displayed signs of severe abuse, including strangulation marks, broken bones, and mutilation.
Some were found with hands and feet bound and eyes blindfolded, while others were missing limbs. Some are believed to have been killed on 7 October 2023 after being run over by Israeli tanks.
An additional 45 bodies were returned on Wednesday, which are still under examination, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The transfers are part of the ceasefire agreement reached on Friday to end Israeli genocide in Gaza and facilitate the exchange of prisoners and remains.
Earlier, Hamas released 20 living Israeli captives in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and has so far handed over seven deceased Israeli captives, with the rest to follow once recovered.
Israeli occupation has returned 90 Palestinian bodies so far, with around 400 expected to be released under the agreement.
Longstanding Policy of Withholding Bodies
Israeli occupation has historically withheld the bodies of Palestinians and other Arabs, a practice dating back to 1948.
Many are buried in so-called “cemeteries of numbers,” marked only with numerical identifiers. Others who died in Israeli custody or were killed by Israeli forces remain in morgues.
The exact number of withheld Palestinian bodies is unknown.
According to the National Campaign for the Retrieval of Palestinian and Arab War Victims’ Corpses, Israeli occupation currently holds at least 735 known Palestinian remains, including 10 women and 67 children, among them a 13-year-old killed in 1968.
During the recent Gaza war, Israeli forces reportedly exhumed and took at least 2,450 bodies from graves, and media reports indicate that another 1,500 remain in Sde Teiman military detention camp.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the Israeli policy, calling for the immediate release of the bodies to families.
Although Israeli law permits the retention of Palestinian bodies, following a 2018 amendment to the Counterterrorism Law upheld by the Supreme Court, international humanitarian law explicitly forbids it.
The Geneva Conventions require the dead to be treated with dignity, properly buried, and marked so that graves can always be recognized.
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