Gaza Authorities Work to Identify 90 Palestinian Bodies Returned by Israel
Gaza health officials are working to identify 90 Palestinian bodies returned by Israel under a recent ceasefire agreement, amid challenges due to decomposition and lack of information.
Gaza health officials are working to identify 90 Palestinian bodies returned by Israel under a recent ceasefire agreement. Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, director general of hospitals for the Hamas-run health ministry, stated that a specialist committee is examining the remains, which are stored at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The bodies were handed over without accompanying information such as names or circumstances of death. Dr. Zaqout mentioned that some bodies are recognizable, while others are difficult to identify due to decomposition. If identification efforts are unsuccessful, photos may be posted online to assist families in recognizing their relatives.
The origin of the bodies—whether they are Palestinians who died in Gaza or in Israeli custody—remains unclear. Footage from Nasser's mortuary appeared to show signs of possible mistreatment, including a blindfolded man and another with marks around the wrists and ankles. The Israeli military and justice ministry have previously denied accusations of widespread ill-treatment and torture of detainees.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel agreed to hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli hostage returned. To date, the remains of six Israeli hostages have been returned. Israel has called on Hamas to "make all necessary efforts" to recover the bodies of the remaining 21 deceased hostages as agreed.
The identification process is further complicated by Gaza's devastated health system, which lacks specialist equipment such as DNA testing facilities. Families of missing individuals, like Rasmieh Qdeih from Khuzaa, are seeking information about their loved ones. Ms. Qdeih has been searching for her son Fadi, 36, who has been missing since October 7, 2023. She expressed her distress, stating, "I don't know whether he was imprisoned or martyred. I contacted everyone; no-one told me anything."
The exact number of Palestinian bodies held by Israel is uncertain. The National Campaign for the Recovery of Martyrs' Bodies, a Palestinian NGO, reported that at least 735 bodies, including 99 from Gaza, are held in Israeli mortuaries or cemeteries. Israeli media reports from the previous year indicated that approximately 1,500 Hamas fighters' bodies were held at the Sde Teiman military base.
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