Report: Israel withholding 1,700 Palestinian bodies for future exchange deals

Israeli authorities are holding the remains of approximately 1,700 Palestinians as part of potential future exchange deals, despite no Israeli citizens being held captive by Hamas, according to Haaretz. The number of Palestinian bodies in Israeli custody has reportedly risen during recent high-level Israeli discussions. Israel has long adhered to a policy of not returning the bodies of Palestinians, as the military routinely kills them in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip and seizes their remains.

Human rights organizations have consistently criticized Israel's long-standing practice of withholding Palestinian bodies, urging their immediate release and return to their families. According to Israeli law, retaining Palestinian bodies is permissible and has been practiced throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. However, international humanitarian law explicitly bans the withholding of bodies, stipulating that the deceased should be treated with dignity, buried honorably, and, if possible, buried according to their religious customs.