Palestinians killed in Gaza Photo: Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP/Profimedia
On Wednesday, Israel returned the bodies of 88 Palestinians killed during its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, but the enclave’s Ministry of Health refused to bury them until Israel provided details of their identification and locations of death, Reuters reports.
Officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis refused to accept the bodies for burial, requesting that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) obtain the necessary details from Israel.
Bodies Sent Back to Israel
“The Ministry of Health suspended the process of receiving the container with the bodies until full data and information about the bodies are provided so that relatives can identify them,” the Palestinian ministry explained.
Hamas officials stated that the Ministry of Health instructed the truck driver to return the bodies to the Israeli checkpoint from where they had been transported. The truck left the hospital shortly afterward.
“They must act in accordance with international humanitarian law and in a way that does not compromise the dignity of the martyrs and their families,” Ismail Al-Thawabta told Reuters.
Red Cross Response
The ICRC stated it was not involved in this transfer. “We reiterate that all families have the right to receive news about their loved ones and to bury them with dignity according to their traditions,” the ICRC said in a statement.
Under international humanitarian law, those who die during armed conflicts must be treated with dignity, and their bodies must be properly identified, retrieved, and evacuated to prevent disappearance.
Over 10,000 People Reported Missing
Gaza’s Civil Emergency Service, tasked with searching for missing persons under rubble, on roads, and in destroyed buildings, reported about 10,000 missing people during Israel’s almost year-long offensive on the enclave.
Gaza health authorities have registered over 41,000 Palestinians killed in the Israeli offensive, which began in response to the Hamas militant attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw around 250 hostages taken.
In recent days, the conflict has expanded to Lebanon, with Israel carrying out its largest strikes in nearly two decades on Hezbollah positions, which have been launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas.
Despite months of diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, no agreement has been reached. Israel rejects any ceasefire deal without the complete defeat of Hamas.
