Gaza: Israel continues to hold the bodies of 726 Palestinians, including children and detainees, according to recent data from the National Campaign for the Recovery of Martyrs' Bodies. The campaign revealed that the occupation authorities have been keeping these bodies in refrigerators and in so-called "cemeteries of numbers."
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the campaign's statement, issued on the National Day for the Recovery of Martyrs' Bodies, specified that 256 martyrs are buried in numbered cemeteries. Additionally, 469 martyrs have been detained since 2015, marking a significant escalation in this policy over recent years. Among those held are 67 children, 85 prisoners, and 10 women.
The occupation authorities have also retained the bodies of more than 1,500 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip since the onset of the 2023 conflict in Gaza. These bodies are reportedly being held at the Sdei Teiman camp, illustrating the systematic and enduring nature of these actions.
The campaign highlighted that withholding bodies serves as a continuation of colonial domination, inflicting punishment on Palestinians both during life and posthumously. This policy effectively turns the deceased into bargaining chips and denies grieving families the chance to properly mourn their loved ones.
