October 16, 2025 | 11:46 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - On Wednesday, Israel returned a second group of 45 Palestinian bodies to Gaza authorities, the Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed, as reported by TRT World.
In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, morgue staff were seen unloading a refrigerated truck parked next to an International Red Cross vehicle.
According to the ministry, the latest transfer brings the total number of bodies returned since Tuesday to 90.
The handover is part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on October 10. Medical teams are handling the bodies according to approved procedures, conducting examinations, documentation, and preparing them for return to families.
Under the U.S.-brokered deal, Israel is to return 15 Palestinian bodies for each deceased Israeli handed over. Currently, Israel retains the bodies of over 300 Palestinians, while 20 other prisoners remain in Gaza.
Earlier in the week, Hamas transferred three Israeli bodies and one Nepali national on Monday, followed by three more Israeli bodies and one unidentified individual on Tuesday.
The exchange also facilitated the release of the last 20 living Israeli prisoners in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, alongside a temporary cessation of Israeli attacks, though strikes continued on Monday and Tuesday.
Israel’s far-right Public Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, warned that aid to Gaza could be halted if Hamas fails to return the prisoners’ bodies.
Condition of Returned Palestinian Bodies
Middle East Eye reported on Wednesday that some of the bodies returned by Israel show evidence of torture, execution, and being crushed by tanks.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received the bodies via the International Committee of the Red Cross, noted that some were recently killed, others decomposed, and some arrived as partial bodies.
Officials observed signs of severe abuse, including broken bones, strangulation marks, mutilation, tied hands and feet, blindfolded eyes, and missing limbs. Some appeared to have been shot, suggesting possible field executions. Others are believed to have died on October 7, 2023, after Israeli tank attacks.
The additional 45 bodies returned on Wednesday are still undergoing examination. These handovers are conducted in line with the ceasefire agreement that also includes the exchange of living prisoners and deceased bodies.
So far, Hamas has released seven of a total of 28 deceased Israeli prisoners, with the remainder to be handed over upon identification. In return, Israel has released 90 Palestinian bodies, with roughly 400 more expected to be returned under the agreement.
Israel’s Policy of Detaining Palestinian Bodies
Israel has historically held the bodies of Palestinian and other Arab individuals since 1948, often burying them in “numbered cemeteries” marked only with numerical tags. Many others, killed or deceased in custody, remain in morgues.
The exact number of Palestinian bodies held by Israel remains unknown. According to the National Campaign for the Recovery of Palestinian and Arab War Victims, Israel currently holds at least 735 bodies, including 10 women and 67 children, among them a 13-year-old Palestinian killed in 1968.
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