Israel holding bodies of 1,700 Palestinians as bargaining chips, says report

Israeli authorities are reportedly holding the bodies of approximately 1,700 Palestinians as potential bargaining chips, according to a recent report by Haaretz. The Israeli military and Shin Bet chief David Zini support the decision, despite the fact that no Israeli hostages are currently held by Palestinian armed groups. Most of the remains belong to Palestinian combatants from the 2023 Hamas-led attack, but also include Palestinian civilians and Israeli citizens.

However, legal experts argue that Israel does not have the authority to hold the remains of Palestinian non-combatants, as it is not supported by Security Cabinet policy. In July, the Israeli daily reported that authorities admitted to holding the body of a Palestinian detainee, a father of four who died while in custody, despite not disclosing information about the circumstances of his death.

The Israeli government has continued to hold the bodies of over 100 Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza who died in its custody, some of which have been returned to their families. Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned this policy, emphasizing the need to treat the dead with dignity according to international humanitarian law.