In an unexpected development on Wednesday, the Gaza Health Ministry announced the reception of 54 unidentified bodies and 66 boxes containing Palestinian remains believed to be casualties of the recent two-year conflict with Hamas from Israel. Health authorities in Gaza have initiated the process of identifying these remains.
Mu’in Al-Wahidi, who heads the special committee handling body transfers at Al-Shifa Hospital, confirmed the acceptance of the bodies and remains late on Wednesday. He mentioned that the received bodies and remains will undergo forensic examination the following day to establish identities.
According to Al-Wahidi, there is a lack of information regarding the circumstances or locations of the deaths, with no identifying details available. He clarified that the transferred remains were not part of any exchange involving the bodies of Israeli hostages or the ceasefire agreement.
Last week, Israeli authorities released the remains of 15 unidentified Palestinians, marking the final exchange between Israel and Hamas in the initial phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. This move followed the recovery of the last hostage, Ran Gvili, held by Hamas for over 840 days since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The arrival of 54 bodies in Gaza from Israel raises the total number of bodies returned by Israel since the commencement of the ceasefire on October 10, 2024, to 414. The return of Palestinian remains was a key aspect of the ceasefire agreement’s first phase, along with the transfer of living hostages to Israel, the release of detained Palestinian prisoners, and the transfer of remains of those deceased.
Amani Al-Naouq, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, confirmed the organization’s facilitation of the transfer process. She highlighted the challenging task ahead for forensic authorities to identify the remains amid limited resources, emphasizing the plight of numerous families seeking information about missing loved ones.
The handover of bodies coincided with a tragic day in Gaza, where Israeli military actions resulted in the deaths of 24 Palestinians, including children and a medic. The violence, attributed to militants firing at Israeli troops near the Hamas armistice line, was denounced by the Israeli military as a breach of the ceasefire agreement.