A health official in Gaza has reported that experts are working to identify the remains of 90 Palestinians transferred by Israel in a deal involving deceased hostages held by Hamas. Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, the director general of hospitals for the Hamas-run health ministry, indicated that if identification efforts are unsuccessful, photographs of the bodies would be shared online to assist families in searching for missing relatives.
The bodies, currently stored at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, have raised questions about whether they are of individuals who died in Gaza or while in Israeli custody. Footage from a freelance journalist for the BBC shows at least one body blindfolded, while another appeared to have marks on the wrists and ankles.
The Israeli military and justice ministry have been contacted for comment; they have previously dismissed claims of widespread ill-treatment of detainees. Under last week’s ceasefire agreement, Israel has committed to returning 15 Palestinian bodies for each deceased Israeli hostage. So far, six Israeli hostages’ remains have been returned, along with one deceased Nepalese national and another individual not identified as a hostage.
On Monday, Israeli authorities transferred 45 Palestinian bodies to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with another 45 handed over on Wednesday. Dr. Zaqout mentioned that the initial group of remains had been stored in refrigerators, making some recognizable, but others difficult to identify. He emphasized the lack of information provided, stating they received only coded bags instead of names or circumstances of death.
Dr. Zaqout has said that once bodies are confirmed and identified, names will be published for families to come forward. However, he cautioned that if no names are provided, they may need to create a way for families to view identifiable photos.
Meanwhile, Rasmieh Qdeih, whose son Fadi has been missing since October 7—when the Israeli military began its campaign in Gaza—expressed her distress at the uncertainty surrounding her son’s fate. She mentioned her unsuccessful attempts to find information from various sources and stated that the wait has been extraordinarily challenging for her.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ypwqwlnn2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss