The Hamas movement affirmed that the Israeli occupation's detention of the bodies of 726 martyrs is a "heinous Zionist crime" and a blatant violation of international laws and norms, calling for urgent international action to expose the occupation and pressure it to release them.

In a press statement marking the National Day for the Retrieval of Martyrs' Bodies, the movement stated that the occupation continues to hold the bodies of martyrs in "cemeteries of numbers" and special freezers, with some having been detained for decades.

Hamas also pointed out that "Israel" has intensified this policy during the 23-month-long ongoing war of annihilation, noting that while 726 cases have been documented so far, the fate of many other Gaza martyrs remains unknown.

The Palestinian Resistance group affirmed that the crimes and violations committed by the Israeli occupation since October 7, 2023, constitute a flagrant breach of international laws, which guarantee the rights of the dead and ensure human dignity during wartime.

Detaining bodies as a tool of repression

It asserted that the policy of detaining and desecrating bodies is nothing more than a tool of repression, aimed at punishing Palestinian families and depriving them of their legitimate right to bury their loved ones with the dignity they are entitled to.

Furthermore, Hamas pointed out that the Palestinian Resistance "has proven the authenticity of its humanitarian and moral values" through its handling of the bodies of Israeli captives during the recent exchange process. It pointed out that the Israeli government continues its "sadistic policy" against prisoners and the bodies of martyrs, in a scene which it said confirms that "this is a rogue entity that warrants isolation, boycott, and prosecution."

Hamas also called on the United Nations and human rights and humanitarian organizations to take serious action to abolish the so-called "cemeteries of numbers," to pressure the occupation to cease its policy of withholding bodies, and to safeguard the right of the Palestinian people to honor their martyrs, whom it described as "a beacon of sacrifice and defense of the land and sanctities."

According to data from the National Campaign to Recover the Martyrs' Bodies, among those whose bodies are being held are 256 buried in "cemeteries of numbers" and 469 martyrs who have been detained since this policy was reinstated in 2015. This includes the bodies of 67 children, 85 martyrs from the Captive Movement, and 10 women.