Israel Withholds 1,700 Palestinian Bodies for Future Leverage

The Government of Israel is withholding the remains of approximately 1,700 Palestinians to use as leverage in potential future hostage negotiations. According to reports by the Haaretz daily, this policy is supported by Shin Bet chief David Zini, who argues that retaining the bodies is necessary in case Israelis are captured or go missing in the future, despite there currently being no Israeli captives held by Palestinian resistance.

Most of the remains belong to individuals from the Gaza Strip involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks or subsequent fighting, though some belong to non-combatants. The bodies are stored in military freezers, including at the Sde Teiman facility. Some defense officials have admitted that certain remains are unidentified or missing. In one instance, the State Prosecutor’s Office admitted it does not know the location of the body of Raj’a Samur, a Gaza resident who died in military detention.

Legal experts cited in the reports argue that the Israeli state lacks the authority to withhold the remains of non-combatants because the Security Cabinet has not passed a formal resolution on the matter since January, when the last Israeli captive's body returned from Gaza. While Israeli law may permit the retention, the reports note that international humanitarian law prohibits the practice, requiring the dead to be treated with dignity and buried honorably.