DaysofPal- In a grim revelation, Palestinian forensic teams have discovered compelling evidence of torture and extrajudicial executions on the bodies of prisoners recently returned by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) to Gaza.
Samah Hamad, a member of the Central Committee for the Management of Released Bodies, stated that each body displayed severe signs of abuse that led to death, with medical examiners describing the details as “beyond human description.”
Hamad, a specialist in forensic evidence, reported that the bodies arrived in an extremely frozen state, reaching temperatures of minus 180 degrees Celsius, and were mostly decomposed, making identification challenging.
The medical examinations indicated clear signs that several victims had been executed post-arrest, representing a flagrant violation of international law.
The committee received 195 bodies from the Israeli prisons through the International Committee of the Red Cross, all of which were delivered to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in various stages of decay.
Despite having conducted DNA sampling, the Israeli occupation forces did not provide lists of names, compelling Palestinian teams to use rudimentary identification methods and direct family inspections.
Since October 15, the bodies were delivered in batches: the first batch included 45 handcuffed corpses, the second had 45 with close-range gunshot wounds, the third consisted of 30 showing signs of hanging and burning, and the fourth included 70 crushed under tanks and vehicles.
Photographs shared on the Ministry of Health’s website depict corpses with blindfolds, bound hands, ropes around necks, fractured bones, burned skin, and mutilated faces.
Some had fingers and toes amputated, while others bore abdominal wounds suggesting potential organ removal.
Many bodies arrived with personal items such as clothing and jewelry, aiding in their identification, where each body is cataloged and given a unique code for record-keeping.
Families are required to identify their loved ones at Nasser Hospital, where images of the bodies are displayed for ten days before burial.
Due to the severe disfigurement and absence of adequate forensic equipment, only 65 out of the 195 bodies have been identified so far; many remain buried in mass graves in Deir al-Balah marked with numbered indicators.
Hamad stressed that the Israeli occupation appears to intentionally obscure identifying features, sometimes shooting victims in the face or chest or crushing skulls.
The bodies are delivered in inappropriate plastic bags, hastening the dissolution of skin layers and further obscuring forensic evidence.
These findings, corroborated by multiple forensic teams and international reports, suggest a systematic policy aimed at erasing identity, concealing evidence of torture, and denying Palestinian families their right to mourn and seek justice for their loved ones.
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