Hundreds of Slain Palestinians’ Bodies Held in Israeli Morgues
Under the slogan ‘Mothers’ Cry’, relatives of slain Palestinians held in Israeli morgues launched a new campaign to press for the return of their loved ones’ remains.
According to Palestinian estimates, Israel has been holding the bodies of 117 slain Palestinians in Israeli morgues including the bodies of 13 children and two women, while 256 others are withheld at the infamous “cemeteries of numbers”.
“Cemeteries of numbers” are made up of mass graves marked with numbers rather than names, and some bodies have been there since the 1967 war.
Israeli media sources recently revealed that some of these graves are located in the Jordan Valley and northern of the 1948 occupied Palestine.
In 2012, Israel released the bodies of dozens of Palestinians after years-long talks, while dozens others kept in morgues.
In 2019, an Israeli court approved the detention of Palestinian bodies to use as bargaining chips in future negotiations with Palestinian resistance.
Therefore, we stress that the Israeli policy of withholding slain Palestinians’ bodies is a violation of international humanitarian laws and norms and we call for the immediate and unconditional release of all bodies held in Israeli morgues and cemeteries of numbers.